Round Rock ISD reports midyear drop in college, career and military readiness amid TEA rule changes

Dr. Natalie Nichols, senior chief of schools and innovation for Round Rock Independent School District, told trustees the district is behind its 2024 midpoint for Board Goal 3 — college, career and military readiness (CCMR) — and outlined where the district plans to focus through the rest of the school year.

The district’s end-of-year targets for 2025 are 92% overall CCMR, with subgoals of 53% for advanced coursework (AP/IB/dual credit/on-ramps), 76% for college-ready test performance (SAT/ACT/TSIA2) and 18% for career and technical education (CTE) completers who pass industry-based certifications (IBCs). "One of the things at the very top that our community spoke to was the idea of we want our kids to graduate ready for college, career, or military," Nichols said.

Why it matters: CCMR figures are used in local accountability and to demonstrate postsecondary readiness. Nichols and other staff emphasized that recent and imminent changes from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and state policy are tightening how CCMR measures are counted — especially for CTE industry certifications — which may reduce reported rates even if campus instruction does not change.

District data and where it stands: Nichols presented a year-over-year comparison showing District CCMR measured at 66% so far for 2025 at midyear, down from the comparable midyear point in 2024. For advanced coursework (GPM 3.1) the district is at about 50% for the Class of 2025 as of December and historically rose from 43% (Class of 2022) to 50% (Class of 2025 midyear). For the college-ready tests (GPM 3.2), the district reported 58% at midyear for the Class of 2025 compared with a 79.7% end-of-year rate for the Class of 2024.

TEA rule changes and CTE: Nichols and other administrators said TEA is revising CCMR rules that govern CTE pathways and IBCs: the agency has signaled it will tier IBCs (Tier 1/2/3) and is moving the qualifying certification to the capstone course (the final course in a program of study). Nichols said those changes "totally change the whole concept of how not just Round Rock ISD, but all other districts have put their system together." Another administrator added that TEA’s changes over the last two years — moving from counting simple CTE course-taking to requiring certification, then concentrator status, and soon completer status — explain a portion of the drop in reported numbers.

District response and next steps: Nichols said district teams immediately convened with teaching and learning, counseling, area superintendents and ACC (Austin Community College) partners to review impacts and adjust planning. The district plans to emphasize advanced coursework (GPM 3.1) and academic readiness (GPM 3.2) where state measures are less likely to change and where the district has more control. She also described work on 4-year plans for students, targeted scheduling changes, enhanced counseling and campus-level scholarship funds to help students pay for AP/IB exam fees.

Board questions and community context: Trustees asked about protecting student choice and ensuring students are not steered away from fine arts or other programs. Nichols and Erica Simmons, executive director of assessment and evaluation, said course overlap in students’ program records and Round Rock’s scheduling flexibility (eight-course load) provide multiple pathways and reduce the risk that students must lock into a single program to earn CCMR credit.

What’s next: District staff said they will continue to analyze TEA rule updates, submit feedback through TEA’s public comment windows and return to the board with implementation proposals and revised reporting as the agency clarifies the new accountability rules.