El Paso ISD presents 2023-24 Texas Academic Performance Report; district outlines academic response and student supports

El Paso Independent School District leaders presented the district’s final 2023-24 Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) in a public hearing and outlined an academic response that includes expanded multi-tiered systems of support, added interventionists and mental-health referrals.

“The annual report requires 8 components, and so these are the 8 components that are required,” said Christine Ferrett, executive director of strategic planning and design, as she opened the TAPR presentation. The report fulfills a statutory public‑meeting requirement and summarizes academic, financial and safety data for the 2023-24 year.

District staff told trustees the TAPR showed mixed results: growth in reading/language arts, improved attendance (+1.3%) and a 5.2 percentage‑point reduction in chronic absenteeism; a 7‑percentage‑point increase in college‑career‑military readiness (CCMR); and a 1.2 percentage‑point rise in graduation rates. At the same time, the district reported declines in STAAR results in math, science and social studies that mirrored statewide trends, and a 1.2 percentage‑point increase in the dropout rate.

For special education the district reported a federal results-driven accountability determination level of 2, which requires submission of a corrective action plan to the Texas Education Agency; staff said they have begun that planning with TEA and identified mathematics as a priority area.

District academic leaders described a range of programs and data systems intended to respond to the results. Al Garcia, chief academic officer, introduced work across teaching and learning, while Guy Rosales summarized tier‑1 curriculum development and assessment work, including a curriculum K‑12 aligned to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), quarterly curriculum conversations, and interim/predictive assessments used to identify student needs.

“To better support teachers, we're also conducting curriculum conversations,” Rosales said. The district also reported the use of an implementation coaching model, a platform called KickUp to track coaching and supports, and that 24 identified schools are receiving targeted implementation-team supports.

The district described an expanded intervention structure: interventionists are now assigned to campuses (the district reported 94% of interventionist positions filled) and have received more than 50 hours of professional development; staff said they have made 75 classroom visits to monitor fidelity. The district also reported 3,700 requests in “Accodesk,” its system for campus support requests, and more than 3,000 trend‑walk observations this school year.

On whole‑child supports, Tyra Harrison, director for whole learner supports and intervention, said the district has added mental‑health access and navigation tools such as Care Solace and a teletherapy partnership through Texas Tech. “Care Solace is in is a system that supports families in systems navigation if you are in a crisis with, mental wellness,” Harrison said, adding that families can opt into services directly.

District leaders also reviewed prevention and safety work, health‑screening compliance improvements, PBIS and SEL implementation, and supports for McKinney‑Vento and foster‑care students. Trustees asked about communicating MTSS and other supports to families; staff recommended web pages, short videos in English and Spanish, outreach at school events, and letters home for individualized interventions.

The TAPR presentation was followed by no public comments during the hearing; trustees thanked staff for the report and posed follow‑up questions about parent communication, cross‑district calendar alignment and next steps for special education corrective planning.