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Southwest ISD warned it may be graded a C under new TEA calculations
Summary
District staff walked the board through changes to TEA’s accountability system and preliminary proportional weighting; presenters said official results are expected Aug. 15 and that, based on the agency's 'what-if' reports and test redesigns, "we're projecting it will be a C district."
Southwest ISD trustees heard a state accountability briefing in which district staff said changes in Texas Education Agency (TEA) testing and recalculation methods make prior-year comparisons unreliable and that preliminary projections show the district could receive a C rating under the new formulas.
At a board presentation, a district accountability staff member summarized TEA revisions since 2022, including new graduation-rate grading, capped industry-based certifications (IBCs) and military enlistment recognition in the College, Career and Military Readiness (CCMR) domain, reconfigured Domain 3 scoring, and the use of proportional weighting so each campus contributes to a district score based on its share of students in grades 3–12. The presenter said state 'what-if' reports and the redesign of several tests mean "it's not even the same test anymore" and that official district ratings will be released Aug. 15.
Why it matters: a district-level grade affects public perception, campus interventions and potential state attention. The shift to proportional weighting means a high- or low-performing campus has a different effect on the overall district grade than under previous formulas. The presenter warned the board that preliminary projections indicate the district "will be a C district," and urged caution until TEA publishes official scores.
Details and context: the presenter walked trustees through a sample proportional weighting for 2024 that assigns roughly 20% to Southwest High School and similar shares to other secondary campuses, while most elementary campuses contribute 2–3% each. They noted changes in item types (addition of constructive response items and a reading-plus-writing format) that complicate direct year-to-year comparisons. The presenter also referenced a TEA 'what-if' report used for planning and said final, official accountability reports will be available Aug. 15.
Board response and next steps: trustees asked clarifying questions and were advised to collect additional questions in writing so staff can provide fuller answers at a later meeting. District staff said they will continue to monitor TEA's official release and provide follow-up briefings. The presentation was informational; no formal board action on accountability ratings occurred at the meeting.
Provable text in the record: the presentation and district projection were presented during the "state accountability update" item.
