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Granbury ISD presents state academic report showing gains; flags 8th-grade math and rising special education enrollment
Summary
At a board public hearing, district staff reviewed the Texas Academic Performance Report, highlighting a 2% attendance increase, a 94.7% four‑year graduation rate, a 15.2% rise in CCMR/IBCs (lag data), and a rise in special education enrollment from 15.8% to 17%. Board members discussed TEA litigation delaying A–F ratings.
Granbury Independent School District presented its Texas Academic Performance (TAPER) report at a public hearing during the board meeting, with district staff outlining recent test results, graduation and attendance trends and mandated safe‑schools information.
Tammy Clark, a district assessment staff member, told the board the TAPER report the state produces showed districtwide performance that “outperform[s] the averages in every area but one.” Clark said attendance improved 2% from 2023 to 2024 and the district’s four‑year graduation rate is 94.7%.
The report also showed career, college and military readiness (CCMR) indicators and industry‑based certifications (IBCs) rose. Clark said CCMR and IBC gains are “lag data” (reflecting 2023 results) and that CCMR graduates increased by about 15.2%. She said the district’s CTE program “inched past the state average” in the share of students earning IBCs.
Nut graf: The hearing gave trustees a state‑verified snapshot of student outcomes and compliance items the board is required to review. Trustees used the presentation to discuss areas the district plans to target—especially math performance at one grade level—and to note how state litigation affecting TEA accountability scores limits public release of A–F grades.
Clark identified a specific performance gap in eighth‑grade math. She explained that accelerated students currently taking algebra can create a statistical “dip” in eighth‑grade results and said the district is considering moving some seventh‑grade accelerated students to take the eighth‑grade math test as a possible response. “When we intentionally make something an area of focus we show good gains,” Clark said, summarizing the district’s approach to instruction, attendance and culture.
Clark briefed trustees on other demographic and staffing trends. She said the district’s special education population rose from 15.8% to 17% and that emerging bilingual enrollment is also increasing. On staffing, Clark said the professional‑staff total reported in the TAPER includes teachers; the presentation listed roughly 547 teachers within the district’s professional staff total and noted the district’s share of administrative staff is lower than state averages.
Clark reported mandated safe‑schools information, saying the district logged two disciplinary referrals coded as felony controlled‑substance incidents; most other referrals were general conduct violations. The board also heard that Capturing Kids’ Hearts, a relationship‑building program, has been implemented across elementary and secondary campuses as part of the district’s bullying‑prevention efforts.
Trustees asked about the timeliness and public use of TAPER data. Clark and other staff noted that the state prepares and releases TAPER, and that TEA litigation over changes to accountability calculations (including A–F grading and some AI‑grading questions) has prevented TEA from publishing A–F grades and campus distinctions this cycle. Clark cautioned that any locally published projections would be tentative while litigation remains unresolved.
The public hearing concluded with trustees thanking Clark for detailed campus‑level analysis and emphasizing plans to use the report for improvement efforts, especially in math instruction and targeted grant applications for next school year.
Ending: The presentation served as the district’s required public hearing on the TAPER and gave trustees staff‑verified data to guide curriculum, attendance and safety priorities; no formal board action was taken on the report during the meeting.
