Leander ISD presents 2023–24 academic report; Early College students and presenters point to gains, lingering questions

Leander ISD staff on Wednesday presented the district’s Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) for the 2023–24 school year and highlighted Early College High School results while trustees pressed for more detail on math interventions and dual‑credit trends.

The report, required by Texas Education Code 39.306, summarized student and staff demographics, assessment participation and college‑, career‑and‑military‑readiness (CCMR) measures for the most recently completed school year. Emily Gray, senior coordinator for K‑12 measures, and Brenda Cruz, assistant superintendent for Empowered Learning, led the presentation and fielded trustees’ questions.

The TAPR presentation matters because it is the state’s formal record of campus and district academic outcomes and it helps trustees set priorities for curriculum, professional learning communities (PLCs) and targeted interventions.

District staff told trustees that STAR (STAAR) participation in 2023–24 was “almost 100%” among eligible students and that preliminary middle‑of‑year assessments show signs of improvement. Gray said the TAPR data available this evening are for 2023–24 and that TEA accountability ratings were not included because they remain under litigation. Cruz stressed that state testing data are one element inside a broader assessment framework that also relies on district screeners and MAP/ISIP results.

Presenters and student speakers pointed to Early College High School (ECHS) as an example of college readiness work inside the district. Kimberly Payne, assistant principal at Early College High School, introduced four students who described earning Austin Community College credits while in high school. “Next May, I will graduate with both a high school diploma and an ACC associate degree,” said Margarita, an ECHS junior who credited TSI preparation and school supports for her progress. Another scholar, Robert Mendoza, said he is the first in his family preparing for college and noted the school’s small size and support structures.

Cruz and Gray summarized district indicators that trustees discussed: CCMR for the class of 2023 was reported at about 86% under the TEA definition; the district’s SAT/ACT participation rebounded to roughly 97% for the class of 2023 after lower participation during hybrid years; and ECHS students had collectively earned thousands of college credits through dual enrollment. Gray and Cruz also noted a definitional change in TEA reporting that moved some special‑education advanced‑diploma graduates into the “college ready” count and reduced the ways students count as “career and military ready.”

Trustees focused much of their discussion on math outcomes, PLC fidelity and intervention timing. Trustees asked for details about the district’s RTI/intervention model, how math specialists and instructional coaches are deployed, and whether universal screeners and district assessments are predictive of STAAR results. Cruz said the district is monitoring middle‑of‑year data and highlighted campus professional learning as the primary lever for instructional improvement.

Trustees also asked about dual‑credit participation versus AP uptake. Cruz and Gray said the district is seeing more students choose AP courses in some cases, and that counseling and communication about options — including dual credit, AP and industry credentials — is part of their work plan.

The board opened the TAPR public hearing as required; no members of the public signed up to speak and the board moved to internal discussion. Trustees asked staff to bring more granular data (attendance windows, campus‑level breakdowns, and mid‑year MAP/ISIP evidence) in February so the board can track whether preliminary mid‑year gains persist into STAAR outcomes.

The district indicated next steps: staff will continue to return middle‑of‑year assessment results and PLC survey responses in coming weeks, refine explanations for the shift in CCMR categories, and analyze whether changes in dual‑credit/ AP choices reflect counseling or policy drivers.

Notes: The TAPR presentation and ECHS student remarks were the substantive education items on the agenda; the public hearing opened and closed with no public speakers.