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Austin ISD trustees accept monitoring report on accelerated middle‑school math after district outlines gains and gaps
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Summary
The Austin ISD board accepted a monitoring report on Goal 4.1 — increasing economically disadvantaged students completing Algebra I and passing the EOC — after district staff presented mid‑year data showing enrollment gains tied to SB 2024 and uneven persistence and proficiency across student groups and campuses.
The Austin Independent School District board on June 12 accepted a monitoring report on Goal 4.1 — a multi‑year initiative to increase the share of economically disadvantaged students who enroll in accelerated middle‑school math and complete Algebra I — after a presentation by district staff that showed higher enrollment but uneven academic outcomes.
District staff told trustees that spring data show a jump in the number of sixth graders enrolled in accelerated pathways, largely because of the recent state law (Senate Bill 2024) that broadens eligibility to students scoring in the upper range of “meets” on grade‑level STAR tests. Assistant Superintendent Susan Diaz and her team said that change, plus improved PEIMS reporting and an updated course code, accounted for much of the increase in enrollment.
"Senate Bill 2124 helped us expand access," Diaz said in the presentation, summarizing staff remarks. The district reported that total grade‑6 accelerated enrollment rose to 54 percent overall, but just 36 percent among economically disadvantaged students, and that non‑economically disadvantaged students remain disproportionately represented at 74 percent.
District staff identified several next steps: a fall data dive on persistence from grade‑6 accelerated into grade‑7 pathways, more teacher and counselor training about accelerated options, and development of a multi‑measure rubric for placing students so decisions are not driven by a single STAR result. Staff also highlighted campus outliers — Sadler Means, Murchison and Betachek — that combined small‑group instruction, data practices and family outreach to produce better persistence in accelerated classes.
Trustees asked for more outcome data. Trustee Hunter pressed for the percentage of economically disadvantaged students who both enroll and meet grade‑level proficiency, calling lagging grade and STAAR results a problem for mid‑course resource decisions. Staff said end‑of‑year course grades and final STAAR correlations were not yet fully processed and committed to presenting them in a fall update.
After the presentation trustees voted to accept the monitoring report as the formal record of the conversation. Secretary Gonzales moved to accept the report with Trustee Quintana seconding. The motion passed with eight trustees in favor, none opposed and one abstention.
The district emphasized that the SB 2024 automatic‑enrollment rule allows parents to opt out, and staff warned that growing accelerated enrollment without matched instructional supports could widen disparities unless the district expands MTSS‑style small‑group instruction and campus scheduling changes such as double‑blocking or longer daily math blocks.
The board asked staff to return in the fall with finalized end‑of‑year grades, a plan for measuring the contribution of AVID and other strategies to persistence, and a clearer rubric for equitable placement into accelerated pathways.
