Accountability ratings for the 2022-2023 school year that would normally be released by the Texas Education Agency remain unavailable thanks to a lawsuit filed by over 120 school districts in 2023, Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie S. Elizalde said in a district meeting in January.
Elizalde warned that while some school districts, such as Houston ISD, have released self-reported ratings, Dallas ISD would be in violation of the lawsuit if they released a score.
“I wanted to make sure no one thought we had those ratings and that we weren’t releasing them,” Elizalde said. “Especially those (of us) that are apart of the lawsuit, want to ensure the integrity of the judge’s ruling that none of those be released. We do not have them.”
In late October, a Travis County court granted a temporary injunction blocking the release of the A-F accountability grades for Texas public schools. Districts joined together to sue Education Commissioner Mike Morath after it was announced changes to the school accountability system would retroactively, and negatively, impact 2022-2023 scores.
The letter grades are “so high stakes,” Kingsville ISD Superintendent Cissy Reynolds-Perez told the Texas Tribune. After the school district received a failing rating six years ago, the district lost a significant number of educators and the small, costal county lost out on a partnership with the U.S. Navy.
Dallas ISD received a “B” for the 2021-2022 school year.
Elizalde said that while Dallas ISD has some data available that is being analyzed internally, any release of a grade estimate would be a violation of the lawsuit.
“You may have seen Houston ISD is saying they have so many D’s and F’s. We do not, and neither do they, have those ratings from the state,” Elizalde said.
According to the Houston Chronicle, a trial to decide whether or not the TEA’s rankings will be released is set for Feb. 12.
