In 1993, the Texas legislature enacted statutes that mandated the creation of the Texas public school accountability system to accredit school districts and rate schools. The accountability system integrates the statewide curriculum (TEKS); the state criterion-referenced assessment system (previously TAKS, now STAAR); district and campus recognition for high performance and significant increases in performance; sanctions for performance; and school, district, and state-level reports.
The commissioner of education sets the standards for each rating category within parameters specified in law. The standards were designed to phase in increasingly higher expectations for districts and cmpuses anually.
Accountability Ratings
Each year, the Texas Education Agency rates schools and districts across the state based on the academic performance of their students, the dropout rate, and other factors.
AEIS Report
Each year, the Texas Education Agency publishes the Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) report which pulls together a wide range of information on the performance of students in each school and district in Texas. These reports are published each fall.
Student Success Initiative (SSI)
The Student Success Initiative (SSI), which was enacted in 1999, mandated passing requirements which were phased as follows:
- Beginning in school year 2004-05 for the Grade 5 reading and math tests
- Beginning in school year 2007-2008 for the Grade 8 reading and math tests
The SSI stipulates that a student may advance to the next grade level only by passing these tests or by a unanimous decision of his or her grade placement committee. The goal of the SSI is to support on grade level academic achievement for every student.
For more information about the SSI, go to the TEA website.
Helpful Links
State Accountability