TEA commissioner defends A–F ratings, explains STAAR equating and standard‑setting to board

The commissioner opened the board meeting with a wide‑ranging update on this year’s A–F accountability ratings and the process that underpins the STAAR assessment and related cut scores.

The most important data: the commissioner said Texas saw gains in 2025 compared with the prior release of ratings. ‘‘About 9,000 campuses in Texas…in 2024 about 18% earned an A rating. But in 2025, 23 percent earned an A rating,’’ the commissioner said. He noted there were fewer D and F campuses and that 31 percent of campuses saw their rating increase year over year.

Houston focus: The commissioner highlighted Houston ISD as an example of rapid turnaround. He told the board that the percentage of students on grade level in Houston rose from 39 percent before the district intervention to 46 percent in the most recent results; the commissioner contrasted that with a statewide average he cited as roughly 48 percent. He said Houston — a district of about 175,000 students and roughly 80 percent eligible for free or reduced price lunch — had seen “substantive improvement” in mathematics and that this gain exceeded state averages.

Why ratings matter, the commissioner said:…