VISD holds public hearing on Texas Academic Performance Report; trustees press for reading and math gains

Victoria Independent School District presented its 2023–24 Texas Academic Performance Report during a public hearing Feb. 20, outlining student performance, attendance, graduation rates, and special‑education indicators and prompting trustees to press staff for multi‑year trend data and clearer literacy and numeracy targets.

District staff said the TAPR is a lagging report compiled by the Texas Education Agency using PEIMS and student assessment data. The district’s STAAR results for 2024 were below the state average: the district’s combined reading score (all grades) was presented at about 64 percent compared with a Texas average of about 76 percent. Staff emphasized STAAR progress data, attendance trends and postsecondary readiness (college, career and military readiness, CCMR).

Why it matters

The TAPR aggregates academic outcomes, attendance, graduation and program data used by the board and administration to set priorities, measure progress and comply with state reporting requirements. Board members told staff the district must raise reading and math performance while preserving gains in graduation and CCMR.

Key points from the presentation and discussion

• STAAR and progress: Staff noted the district was below the state average on STAAR overall and that the TAPR allows comparison with Region 3 averages as well as state averages. Presenters said the data show whether achievement gaps are widening or narrowing and stressed the need for targeted interventions.

• Graduation and CCMR: The district’s four‑year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was reported as 97 percent, above the state average (90.3 percent) and Region 3 (93.3 percent). The district’s CCMR rate for the class of 2023 was 85.2 percent, higher than the state average (76.3 percent) and the region (79.1 percent). Staff said career readiness outcomes were particularly strong and that college readiness remains a priority for improvement.

• Attendance and chronic absenteeism: The TAPR shows attendance increased but remained below region and state averages; chronic absenteeism is higher than regional and state rates although the district reported a substantial decline from 2022 to 2023.

• Special education substantial intervention status: Staff explained the district’s status is based on 38 indicators and identified special education student performance on STAAR and disciplinary removals as contributing factors. Administrators said special‑education enrollment has approximately doubled over the past decade—from about 9.5 percent to about 18.5 percent of the student body—and that federal special‑education funding has not increased proportionally.

Public and board input

A member of the public identified in the transcript as Mr. Swanson urged the board to release a five‑year trend of reading and math scores so the community can see longer‑term movement rather than year‑to‑year noise. "We're at 64 percent in reading and the state is 76," the speaker said, adding that five‑year figures would help detect whether recent changes were aberrations.

Trustees questioned staff about the causes and consequences of the increase in special‑education identifications and programmatic responses. Staff described state changes in identification (including dyslexia moving into special education categories) and said the district already meets regularly with the Texas Education Agency on improvement strategies. Trustees also pressed staff to maintain CCMR gains while accelerating improvements in reading and math through the district’s new literacy and numeracy frameworks.

Next steps and resources

Staff said the full TAPR binder will be published on the district website and paper copies are available at the Administration Building front desk. Staff offered to provide five‑year trend data on assessment outcomes to board members by email. The district indicated ongoing work with Victoria College to expand dual‑credit opportunities, and said the strategic plan will target early‑grade literacy and numeracy as priorities.

Ending

The public hearing concluded with staff inviting questions and offering to provide additional data. Trustees signaled support for continued focus on early literacy and numeracy while preserving college and career readiness gains.