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Rockwall ISD presents TAPR findings and advanced-academics data; state accountability ratings remain on hold
Summary
District staff reviewed the Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) and presented advanced-academics data including AP/IB participation, dual-credit totals and college-credit attainment; staff noted accountability A-F ratings are on hold due to litigation and that several achievement indicators are lagging by one year.
Rockwall ISD staff reviewed the district's Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) and related advanced-academic measures during a public hearing at the board's regular meeting.
Katie Braden, the district's director for assessment, accountability and professional learning, said the TAPR is a state-produced annual report and that the district is required to hold a public hearing within 90 days of the report's release. She told trustees the TAPR data are lagging indicators (the attendance and many academic data reflect the 2022-23 school year) and that the statewide A-F accountability ratings remain on hold because of pending litigation.
Braden said the district's attendance increased about one percentage point between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years and that the district's reported dropout rate for 2022-23 was 0 percent. She described changes to STAAR test designs, noting the reading-language-arts assessment includes writing and extended-response items at all tested grades, and said the district uses the TAPR data to inform campus and district improvement plans.
Dr. Matthew Redmond, coordinator for Advanced Academics and International Baccalaureate, gave a separate presentation about college-readiness and advanced-program outcomes drawn from the TAPR. He said Rockwall ISD students took a record 2,394 Advanced Placement (AP) exams in 2023 and reported a district AP passing rate of 69.3 percent for 2023. He also reported that the district's International Baccalaureate passing rate was 78.1 percent for the class of 2023.
Redmond said 29.1 percent of grades 11-12 students participated in AP or IB exams in 2023 and highlighted that 46.4 percent of students had earned some form of college credit (AP, IB or Collin College dual credit) before graduation, noting that the figure is a lagging indicator. Additional data presented: 15.2 percent of 2023 graduates earned University of Texas OnRamps credit and 24.6 percent earned Collin College dual credit; the district reported 728 students enrolled in Collin College dual credit in the most recent fall term presented.
Braden and Redmond emphasized that TAPR and higher-education outcomes are partial measures: TAPR shows enrollments and performance for Texas public institutions only, so students who enroll out of state or in private institutions may not appear in some statistics. Braden also noted the district's accreditation status remains reported as accredited while the A-F ratings are under legal review.
Board members asked clarifying questions during both presentations. Trustees praised staff for mentoring new teachers and for advanced-academics participation trends. The public hearing closed after the presentations and a period for board questions.
