Fabens ISD principals report gains, O'Donnell and Fabens Elementary earn A ratings; district outlines interventions

Fabens Independent School District officials and campus leaders presented detailed accountability and early‑year assessment results on Sept. 17, highlighting student growth and plans to raise achievement.

The presentation from district staff and principals opened with an overview of the state accountability framework — Domains 1 (student achievement), 2 (school progress) and 3 (closing the gaps) — and a short guide for the board on how those scores are calculated. District staff told trustees the state counts the higher of Domains 1 and 2 and then weights Domain 3 in the overall campus rating.

O'Donnell Intermediate’s presentation noted the campus earned an A rating and multiple distinctions, including recognition for comparative academic growth. The presenter said O'Donnell received “4 out of 4” possible points on ELP status and described cohort and grade‑level STAR gains in reading, math and science. The presenter also said the campus reclassified or exited 37 emergent bilingual students on TELPAS and credited “teachers and our interventionists” for that progress.

Fabens Elementary staff reported early‑year Renaissance assessment baselines and targets by grade. The principal described current beginning‑of‑year percentages (for example, kindergarten at about 58% at or above benchmark) and set goals to move more students into the green (on‑benchmark) category by year’s end. The principal outlined tiered interventions — progress monitoring every four weeks, PLCs, targeted Tier 2 and Tier 3 pulls, the Imagine Español and Summit K–12 programs to support emergent bilingual students — and said the campus exceeded the state’s interim TELPAS target (the presentation noted a 45% proficiency where the interim target was 40%). The principal also described improvements in attendance (reported rising from about 92% to about 96%) and listed parent engagement and strengthening Tier 1 instruction as areas for growth.

Fabens Middle School’s presentation traced modest gains in multiple tested areas but explained why the overall campus rating remained at a D. The principal described movement from a 60 to a 69 in student achievement and from a 70 to an 80 in school progress, then explained TEA’s 3‑D rule: having three lowest‑domain conditions can cap a campus rating. The principal said the school’s growth would have produced a higher composite but that the 3‑D rule kept the school at a 69. He listed specific strengths (sixth‑ and seventh‑grade math exceeding the state in approaches, algebra 1 pass rates and expanded high‑school credit opportunities) and areas to target (eighth‑grade science and social studies, and closing gaps for special education and emergent bilingual students). Action steps already in place include revised master scheduling to double‑block interventions, social studies labs, co‑teach inclusion models with licensed special‑education teachers, scheduled enrichment camps and a campus‑wide writing initiative.

District staff and principals emphasized that the next steps are implementation and fidelity: frequent progress monitoring, PLC review of data and targeted interventions. No formal board action was taken on the accountability presentations; trustees received the reports for review.

Speakers quoted in this article are drawn from the meeting presentations and include district and campus leaders who appeared on the record during the accountability update.