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Sheldon ISD reviews dropped 2023 accountability rating; district cites methodology changes and ongoing legal challenge
Summary
District staff said the state’s change to accountability methodology (STAR 2 and an altered CCMR threshold) produced lower 2023 letter grades; Sheldon ISD had joined a lawsuit challenging the commissioner’s mid‑season rule changes and district staff said local measures to address instruction are underway.
Sheldon ISD staff briefed trustees on the state’s release of 2023 accountability ratings and said methodological changes by the Texas Education Agency produced lower scores statewide.
“We were part of the lawsuit,” the superintendent said, explaining the district’s participation in litigation challenging how the commissioner changed accountability rules mid‑season. District accountability staff illustrated two main changes they say reduced scores statewide: a raise in the Career, College, and Military Readiness (CCMR) threshold from 60 to 88 and the roll‑out of STAAR 2 assessment item types (constructed responses and interactive items) that were more difficult than prior versions.
Using district data, staff said Sheldon ISD’s 2023 district score measured 73 under the state’s published methodology; when recalculated using the 2022 methodology the district’s score would have been 83, the presenter said. District staff emphasized that changes were applied after the cohort had graduated and that the district and many similar districts saw declines statewide.
Staff also highlighted distinctions earned by several campuses despite the overall drop: Sheldon Elementary earned a distinction in science; Royalwood earned one in math; Carroll Elementary earned a distinction for closing gaps; and the high school earned distinctions in growth and closing gaps.
Board members asked about campus grades and whether the district had joined the lawsuit; staff named several local districts that joined the suit and said accountability remains a priority for planning and campus improvement. District officials said they have already adjusted instructional strategies to reflect STAAR 2 item types and continue to monitor data and refine improvement plans.
