Preliminary 2006 accountability ratings for Fort Bend Independent School District schools show Thurgood Marshall High School dropping to an “Academically Unacceptable” rating, and Fort Settlement Middle School moving up to “Exemplary.”
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The ratings, obtained by FortBendNow through a Texas Public Information Act request, show that three other Fort Bend ISD high schools – Stephen F. Austin, Dulles and Kempner – also slipped a notch from their 2005 performances, dropping from “Recognized” to “Academically Acceptable.”
And, although Willowridge High School got a preliminary rating of “Academically Acceptable” from the district administration, several of its students’ Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills testing results were lower than those reported at Marshall.
Acting Superintendent Dr. Manuela Phaedra’s acknowledged the high school testing performance is an area of concern for the district, and noted that the FBISD Board of Trustees approved a “TLC” program last week through which the district will add 15 new teachers in each of three high schools – Marshall, George Bush and Hightower.
The final accountability ratings – by which schools and districts are either rated Exceptional, Recognized, Academically Acceptable or Academically Unacceptable – are expected to come from the Texas Education Agency on Aug. 1. The ratings are based on Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills tests and other factors.
There’s a lot at stake; under TEA regulations, a district can’t receive an overall rating of Recognized or Exceptional if even one school is rated Unacceptable. Last year, Fort Bend ISD received an overall rating of Academically Acceptable. Given Marshall High School’s preliminary rating of Unacceptable, it appears the overall district rating won’t improve this year.
Preliminary results from Fort Bend ISD’s TAKS testing were released in May, and the district used those results to provide preliminary accountability ratings to some administrators including the principals of the schools.
Despite sharing the information with its principals, the district administration initially refused to make the preliminary accountability ratings available to the public.
FortBendNow was able to obtain the preliminary accountability ratings for FBISD elementary schools through district sources. A June 6 article shows 11 of the district’s 37 elementary schools most likely will move up a notch in the state rankings.
The high school and middle school results were obtained last week after a TPIA request.
Those preliminary ratings show Fort Settlement Middle School moving up from its 2005 final rating of Recognized, to become the only Exemplary middle school in the district. Macario Garcia Middle School improved from last year’s Acceptable rating to Recognized.
All the other middle schools retained the same ratings they received last year, according to the preliminary results (see charts at upper right).
It was a different story for the high schools.
Marshall showed that just 32% of 10th grade economically disadvantaged students passed their TAKS science test; 36% of African-American 9th graders passed the math test, and just 39% of all students in the 9th grade passed their math test.
Willowridge 9th grade math scores were worse, with just 25% of African-American students, 29% of Hispanic students and 24% of economically disadvantaged students passing the math TAKS tests. Among all 9th graders, just 27% passed.
At Marshall, which was rated Unacceptable, for all students in all grades, 54% passed the math test and 53% passed science.
At Willowridge, which was rated Acceptable, only 43% of all students in all grades passed the math test, and 45% passed science.
Pederaza said the district began its TLC program at Willowridge last year, and saw improvements. She said they were unable to place a TLC teacher in Willowridge’s math program.
This year the program will expand. The TLC teachers only are added to academic core areas, Phaedra’s said. They are chosen for their exceptional teaching ability, and also work with other teachers in their respective departments, in addition to teaching students.
“We provide intensive training before” TLC teachers go into the classroom, Phaedra’s said. “And it will offer a great reduction in pupil-teacher ratios.”
The ratings, obtained by FortBendNow through a Texas Public Information Act request, show that three other Fort Bend ISD high schools – Stephen F. Austin, Dulles and Kempner – also slipped a notch from their 2005 performances, dropping from “Recognized” to “Academically Acceptable.”
And, although Willowridge High School got a preliminary rating of “Academically Acceptable” from the district administration, several of its students’ Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills testing results were lower than those reported at Marshall.
Acting Superintendent Dr. Manuela Phaedra’s acknowledged the high school testing performance is an area of concern for the district, and noted that the FBISD Board of Trustees approved a “TLC” program last week through which the district will add 15 new teachers in each of three high schools – Marshall, George Bush and Hightower.
The final accountability ratings – by which schools and districts are either rated Exceptional, Recognized, Academically Acceptable or Academically Unacceptable – are expected to come from the Texas Education Agency on Aug. 1. The ratings are based on Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills tests and other factors.
There’s a lot at stake; under TEA regulations, a district can’t receive an overall rating of Recognized or Exceptional if even one school is rated Unacceptable. Last year, Fort Bend ISD received an overall rating of Academically Acceptable. Given Marshall High School’s preliminary rating of Unacceptable, it appears the overall district rating won’t improve this year.
