August 8, 2013
 

Dear HPISD Parents & Staff,

 

On Aug. 8, the Texas Education Agency released its latest list of the school ratings based on last year's state-mandated STAAR tests.

 

Highland Park ISD and all of its campuses earned the highest rating of "met standard." The state's new labels are "met standard"  and "improvement required." Those replace the previous labels of "exemplary," "recognized," "acceptable," and "academically unacceptable."

 

Campuses are rated on up to four indices, all of which are based on student performance on last spring's STAAR tests (grades 3-8), STAAR EOC tests (9 and 10), and TAKS (grade 11).  The district's accountability index scores will be posted at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/.

 

It is also worth noting that the Texas Legislature overhauled testing requirements and accountability standards during this year's session in House Bill 5. For example, the number of End of Course exams that high school students are required to take has been reduced from 15 to 5. There are many other changes from HB5 that will render this year's testing and accountability data obsolete. There are also major changes to graduation requirements, which will be phased in over the next few years. Those changes will be communicated in detail by our campus counselors during the school year as the district phases them in, following the state's requirements.

 

We recognize the hard work and accomplishment of our students and teachers in response to the demands of a high-stakes testing and accountability system. We also firmly believe that the over-reliance on a single measure limits the value of the state's system in determining educational quality.  We do not believe it wise to narrow the focus of instruction in response to the state's latest multiple choice test, which is used to determine far more than it should for the state's students, schools and districts.

 

During the course of this school year, our teachers and educational leaders will work closely with students, parents, business leaders, teachers and higher education officials to craft a community-based assessment and accountability system that will more accurately capture the aims, aspirations and expectations for our students. Such a system will include multiple measures of students' core academic competencies, their progress toward post-secondary academic readiness, college admission and graduation rates, as well as meaningful measures of citizenship, engagement, service and leadership.

 

Dr. Dawson Orr

Superintendent of Schools

Highland Park ISD

 

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