Interactive: Compare Public Education Stats by Accountability Rating

It’s rare for the state to revoke the accreditation of an entire school district. Since 1995, it has only happened four times.

Of the more than 1,000 Texas school districts, nearly 50 have been identified as “unacceptable,” which means that less than 65 percent of their students passed state math exams and less than 70 percent passed them in reading. The ratings also take dropout and graduation rates into account. Those poor-performing districts primarily serve low-income and minority students — and, on average, receive less in state funding than their higher-rated counterparts.

Below, we have aggregated data by TEA accountability ratings for the academic years between 2006 and 2010. (To learn more about the rules that determine how a school receives a rating, view this document from the TEA.) Each data metric was created by averaging the metric's totals for all district members in an accountability rating group for each year. Each district was placed into a group based on its rating for the 2009-10 school year.

The total number of districts in each accountability rating group:

Exemplary - 62 districts
Recognized - 426 districts
Academically Acceptable - 607 districts
Academically Unacceptable - 73 districts

Definitions:
Weighted Average Daily Attendance (WADA) - The Texas Education Agency calculates WADA through a formula that multiplies enrollment numbers by a series of weights allotted based on characteristics like a district's number of special needs, poverty-stricken, and English language learning students.
Local/State Aid - The combined amount of local and state revenue.
Economically Disadvantaged - An economically disadvantaged student is defined as one who is eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch and Child Nutrition Program.
Special Education - Special education is a program that serves students with disabilities. Special education programs include special education instructional and related services programs and general education programs using special education support services, supplementary aids and other special arrangements.
Source: Texas Education Agency | Feedback | Follow @TribData on Twitter.