HOUSTON – Aug. 27, 2019 – Spring ISD grew eight percentage points on the district’s 2018-19 State Accountability Report, earning an overall “C” rating from the Texas Education Agency, with nearly a third of its campuses earning an A or B.
The ratings, released by the state earlier this month, marked the first time that all Spring ISD campuses were graded under the state’s new A-F system.
According to the TEA, 80 percent of all rated Spring ISD schools earned a passing grade. Overall, the district earned a numeric score of 78, up from last year’s score of 70, on account of more schools showing improvement.
That overall growth of eight points outpaced other area school districts, including Klein, Tomball and Cy-Fair.
“We are proud of those schools that grew their achievement, especially those who earned an A or B,” said Spring ISD Superintendent Dr. Rodney E. Watson. “We also recognize that we still have a lot of work to do to ensure all of our schools are providing the best education possible. We want all of our students to be successful and all of our schools to achieve at the highest levels, so that’s where we’re focused.”
The district’s top-performing campuses included McNabb Elementary, Roberson Middle School, Carl Wunsche Sr. High School and Spring Early College Academy – all of which earned an A rating. In 2017-18, only Spring Early College Academy earned an A.
Grades are assigned based on a school’s scaled score in three different categories: raw student achievement, student progress and performance relative to percentages of economically disadvantaged students. Those measures account for 70 percent of the rating with the remaining 30 percent based on how schools and districts close achievement gaps.
One area or domain where Spring ISD did especially well was in School Progress, where it earned a B rating. That domain measures growth in student performance over time and weights that against student performance growth in comparable school districts. Although the district received C ratings in the domains of student achievement and closing the gaps, it improved in both areas, growing five and six points, respectively, over last year’s ratings.
Watson said the 2018-19 school grades underscore the importance of the district’s newest initiative, Lift 6, an ambitious plan to transform the district’s six comprehensive middle schools, five of which did not meet the state’s minimum passing score.
“We are committed to turning around these schools using proven strategies and best practices,” Watson said. “The goal is to make sure all of our middle school students are excelling academically and getting the preparation they need to be successful in high school.”
The latest ratings included several campuses that showed significant growth over last year, including five with double-digit increases. They include Heritage Elementary, with a 15 percentage point increase; Link Elementary, with a 24 percentage point increase; Marshall Elementary, at 11 percentage points; McNabb Elementary, at 15; and Dekaney High School, with an increase of 10 percentage points.