McAllen ISD presents preliminary 2023–24 accountability calculations after TEA ratings blocked by court

McAllen Independent School District officials presented preliminary campus and district accountability calculations for the 2023–24 cycle on Aug. 13, telling trustees that Texas Education Agency ratings were not released because a Travis County judge issued a temporary restraining order Aug. 12.

Christian Quintana, director of accountability, said the court order bars TEA from issuing 2024 A–F ratings while litigation proceeds, so the district computed its own preliminary domain and overall scores using its consolidated accountability files. Quintana outlined the TEA framework — three domains weighted differently by campus type, growth measures, and federal targets — and described how domain scores and relative-performance metrics factor into a final calculation.

The district’s internal calculations showed gains across elementary, middle and high school domains and an overall district increase from a preliminary 87 to 89. Quintana emphasized these are district-derived computations and not official TEA ratings: “These are preliminary calculations based on our data in our systems,” he said.

Trustees noted the limitation that official ratings remain withheld; administration said TEA’s pause follows statewide litigation over the accountability system and that a hearing is scheduled Aug. 26. Superintendent Dr. Gutierrez and other board members praised teachers and staff for improved performance while also noting remaining areas of need at some campuses and in specific content areas.

Next steps: the district will continue internal monitoring and use the preliminary data for planning and improvement, but will not represent the figures as official TEA ratings until state action or court outcomes permit release.

Ending: The board received the report as an informational item and declined to take formal action on ratings, pending TEA’s release or further court direction.