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Judson ISD presents state academic report; board hears gaps in reading and special education
Summary
At a public hearing the Judson ISD board received the districtTexas Academic Performance Report overview. Administration highlighted enrollment and demographic figures, delays in statewide accountability ratings, and persistent gaps for special education students in early grades; reading and math remain district priorities.
The Judson Independent School District Board of Trustees heard an overview of the Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) at a public hearing called at 6 p.m., with Superintendent Tom Fields and Dr. Duarte Toppin presenting district data and describing priorities to address student needs.
Dr. Toppin told the board the TAPR presentation "summarize[s] tonight's meeting" and covers enrollment, finance, campus performance and special programs, adding that the district posts the TAPR and campus-level TAPR material online for public review. She said the district is holding its 2022 accountability rating while the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has delayed issuing new accountability ratings and noted a pending court case the district expects to affect whether those ratings are released.
Why it matters: TAPR is a required public report that aggregates test results, demographic data and program information used by trustees, staff and the public to track district performance. Trustees pressed staff for explanations about achievement gaps, special education outcomes, and district-level efforts to retain teachers and strengthen instruction.
Key figures and findings presented
- Enrollment and demographics: Dr. Toppin reported an October snapshot enrollment (the dataset used for accountability) of 23,848 students, of whom 12.4% are classified as English learners and 68.5% are designated "at risk." Dr. Toppin said a high percentage of economically disadvantaged and at-risk students "require a little bit more in our services."
- Accountability status: The district continues to hold its prior accountability rating pending TEA release; Dr. Toppin said the district received a "superior achievement waiver" for one standing and that the district remains "accredited," but the statewide accountability release has been delayed.
- Special education determination: Dr. Toppin reported the district's special education determination for 2023—6 was "Needs Assistance." She flagged the classification and said staff would discuss related interventions later in board briefings.
- Reading and math concerns: Trustees and staff singled out reading and math as priority areas. Dr. Toppin explained how the stateSTAR 2.0 performance levels are reported ("do not meet, approaches, meets, masters") and said the state has added writing components and expanded how results are scored, which affects comparisons year to year. She said the district will review grade-by-grade and subject-level data at a February workshop and in a midyear scorecard presentation.
- Subgroup gaps: Board members and presenters referenced gaps between district averages and specific subgroups. In their discussion trustees quoted third-grade comparisons shown on slides: the district-level third-grade reading figure and the third-grade special education subgroup were cited by trustees from the presentation materials as substantially different. Dr. Toppin urged attention to early identification and interventions, noting that earlier pre-K participation helped identification in prior years and that lower pre-K participation can delay special education identification.
- Teacher experience and turnover: The presentation included staffing demographics. Dr. Toppin described a multi-year effort to retain teachers and reported growth in experienced staff, but also noted the district continues to track turnover closely and has taken steps (including pay increases) to improve retention.
District actions and next steps
Dr. Toppin told the board that TAPR details and supporting documents would be posted and that the board would return to the data at the midyear scorecard workshop and in upcoming meetings dedicated to grade- and subject-level results. Trustees directed staff to bring more detailed grade-level reports and to continue work on interventions for early reading and targeted math support.
Ending
Trustees and staff agreed to carry TAPR follow-up into February workshop work, with Dr. Toppin and central office leaders set to present deeper grade-level and subgroup breakdowns. The district emphasized it will continue monitoring interventions, teacher staffing and the delayed TEA accountability release.
