27 May 2009
Number of Academically Unacceptable Schools Also Expected to Drop
DALLAS–When state accountability ratings are released later this year, the Dallas Independent School District is expecting more schools than ever, including more than half of all campuses, to be rated exemplary or recognized by the Texas Education Agency.
A preliminary analysis by district staff of the 2009 administration of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills indicates that as many as 127 Dallas ISD schools will be rated either exemplary or recognized, up from 103 this school year. The final ratings will include high school completion and middle school dropout rates, which have yet to be tabulated.
The number of Dallas students passing the TAKS increased in every subject during 2009. Even better, the number of students scoring at commended levels went up in every subject.
Preliminary calculations also indicate that the number of academically unacceptable schools dropped for the second consecutive year. Based upon TAKS scores, the number of unacceptable campuses will likely be 14, down from 21 in 2008 and 27 in 2007.
"While this has been a challenging school year, the dedicated staff members at our campuses have kept the focus where it needed to be—on academics," said Superintendent of Schools Michael Hinojosa. "This is very encouraging news and is the result of enormously hard work by staff at every level, but especially teachers and principals at our schools."
The TAKS results mean that, for the first time, more than half of all Dallas ISD campuses will be rated either exemplary or recognized. Under current calculations, the number of exemplary campuses will likely rise from 26 to 43. The number of recognized campuses will increase from 77 to 84.
In addition, for the first time, six comprehensive high schools are on target to be rated as recognized by the Texas Education Agency, prior to the completion rates inclusion on final accountability ratings. Those high schools are W.H. Adamson, Moises E. Molina, Thomas Jefferson, H. Grady Spruce, Sunset and W.T. White.
"This is a testament to the determination at these high schools, each of which is led by very capable, committed principals," said Hinojosa. "Their recognized ratings were assisted, in part, by a new student level growth component called the Texas Projection Measure, which factors in improved performance in various subject areas. It does not in any way diminish the accomplishments at these campuses."
The number of Dallas students performing at commended levels continued to rise, indicating that more students than ever are scoring well above passing levels and are on track for attending college.
"From the outset, we have made it clear that the TAKS test is not the ceiling that schools should strive for, but the floor," said Hinojosa. "Commended levels are what we want our students to achieve and to see more of them scoring at these levels is very rewarding. This is a better measure of the district’s trend upward."
At the beginning of this school year, Dallas ISD had 12 schools that had been listed as academically unacceptable for more than one year. Eight of those schools scored high enough to be named academically acceptable during 2009 and two of them, H. Grady Spruce High School and Birdie Alexander Elementary School, are on target to be named recognized campuses.
"The efforts at these campuses needs to be noticed," said Hinojosa. "Spruce, Samuell and Birdie Alexander are the best examples of putting in hard work to raise student achievement levels but there are 8 other schools that did the same thing—schools like Roosevelt and Conrad. The educators at these campuses did a terrific job this school year and it is gratifying to see these positive results."
The TAKS results do not include the second administration of the state mathematics test in grades 5 and 8, which can only assist schools with their ratings. The state’s final accountability ratings will not be released until August.