The Texas Education Agency released these scores on the premise of “WHAT IF.”  As a professional educator I do not play the “what if” game.”

Quitman ISD Superintendent Rhonda Turner

Wood County public schools saw what their grades would look like had the new grading system been in place this year. The 84th Legislature passed House Bill 2804 which changed the accountability system so every campus and district will receive a letter grade beginning officially in August 2018. The Legislature approved the A-F system for districts and campuses in 2015. The model is intended to provide clarity and consistency in measuring and reporting school performance.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) released grades in four areas: 1) How well students performed on state tests; 2) how much progress students made from year to year on those tests; 3) how well schools are closing performance gaps; and 4) student’s college or career readiness. Next year, a fifth measure will allow schools to grade themselves on student and community engagement. The grades released last week were to show a school district’s grades “if” they were given at this time.

Quitman ISD Superintendent Rhonda Turner feels the ratings leave a lot to be desired. “The Texas Education Agency released these scores on the premise of “WHAT IF.”  As a professional educator I do not play the “what if” game. These scores are based on a flawed set of data gathered from an assessment that does not even align with the state mandated curriculum. The report, as presented, is incomplete and distorted,” Turner explained. “The A-F State Accountability System has been designed to reflect the quality of a school based on one state test.  We do not embrace or recognize a rating or ranking of our schools based on this narrow of an indicator or a single day performance of our students.  Our focus is to provide a quality 21st century education that far exceeds the limited parameters of this state accountability design.  Our schools are so much more than one test, and our students are so much more than one score.”

The “What if?” grades for Quitman in the four areas were C, D, B and A. For the following county districts grades were: Mineola C, C, D and D; Hawkins F, D, F and B; Alba-Golden C, C, C, A; Winnsboro B, B, A and B; and Yantis D, C, D and D.

In a Dallas Morning News article Friday, Jan. 6, DeSoto ISD Superintendent David Harris was adamant. “The government ‘ranking’ and comparing schools feeds the agenda of those claiming our schools are failing and vouchers are the answer,” Harris said. “Meanwhile, public schools tend to be underfunded and over-mandated by the state and federal governments.”