You might have seen in today's Chronicle that the 2006-2007 TAKS results have been released. The results show that Spring Branch has improved in most areas.
I was interviewed this afternoon by Carissa Lamkahouan of the Houston Chronicle about our TAKS results. Her article is available online and appears below.
As many of you know, I am not a fan of the manner in which the current accountability system rates schools. In Spring Branch, there are 25 different accountability subgroups. A campus and the District is judged on the lowest scoring subgroup. In other words, a campus could have 24 groups rated exemplary and 1 group rated academically acceptable, and the school will be rated academically acceptable. As a result, in my opinion, the system fails to reward success and should be changed.
More information and detailed data is available at the Texas Education Agency website.
Spring Branch ISD "academically acceptable," says Texas Education Agency
Chronicle Correspondent
The Spring Branch Independent School District has been labeled "academically acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency and has nine schools with "exemplary" ratings, the highest rating the agency offers.
The ratings, which effect districts statewide, are based on Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test scores at each of the district's 46 schools.
In addition to the district's nine top-rated campuses, 15 of its schools were ranked as "recognized," 14 are "academically acceptable," and one, Sherwood Elementary: , is "academically unacceptable."
Several schools for only pre-kindergarten and kindergarten pupils were not rated.
School Board President Mike Falick said he's happy with the ratings and believes the district's five-year academic plan, which was implemented during the last school year and includes targeting at-risk students, is showing its merit.
"I'm pleased with the results," Falick said. "The district is continuing to show improvement across the board and the 'academically acceptable' rating has been pretty consistent over the years."
Falick addressed Sherwood Elementary: , the only campus in Spring Branch ISD to earn the TEA's lowest rating.
"Sherwood took on a number of students that were Katrina evacuees and the state recognized that many of those students were more than three years behind, but they only gave us one year to bring them up to speed," he said.
"Before Katrina it was not rated 'academically unacceptable' until this year."
Falick also addressed TEA's method of scoring, which looks at 25 different parameters and awards a school's ranking based on its lowest rating.
"It doesn't reward success appropriately," he said. "An 'academically unacceptable' rating doesn't mean that your school isn't a successful school. The system needs to reward students for hard work rather than punish them for what might be (the performance) of a small subgroup of students."
The following is how each of the district campuses were ranked:
- Memorial High School:Academically Acceptabl
- Spring Woods High School:Academically Acceptable
- Northbrook High School: Academically Acceptable
- Stratford High School: Academically Acceptable
- Spring Branch School of Choice: AEA (alternative education accountability): Academically Acceptable
- Westchester Academy for International Studies: Recognized
- Landrum Middle: Recognized
- Memorial Middle:Recognized
- Spring Branch Middle School: Academically Acceptable
- Spring Woods Middle:Academically Acceptable
- Spring Forest Middle: Academically Acceptable
- Spring Oaks Middle: Recognized
- Northbrook Middle: Recognized
- Cornerstone Academy: Exemplary
- Bunker Hill Elementary: : Exemplary
- Edgewood Elementary: : Academically Acceptable
- Frostwood Elementary: : Exemplary
- Hollibrook Elementary: : Recognized
- Housman Elementary: : Recognized
- Hunters Creek Elementary: : Exemplary
- Meadow Wood Elementary: Recognized
- Memorial Drive Elementary: Exemplary
- Pine Shadows Elementary: Academically Acceptable
- Ridgecrest Elementary: Recognized
- Rummel Creek Elementary: Exemplary
- Shadow Oaks Elementary: Academically Acceptable
- Spring Branch Elementary: Recognized
- Valley Oaks Elementary: Recognized
- Westwood Elementary: Academically Acceptable
- Woodview Elementary: Academically Acceptable
- Wilchester Elementary: Exemplary
- Sherwood Elementary: Academically Unacceptable
- Spring Shadow Elementary: Recognized
- Nottingham Elementary: Recognized
- Terrace Elementary: Recognized
- Thornwood Elementary: Academically Acceptable
- Cedar Brook Elementary: Exemplary
- Treasure Forest Elementary: Exemplary
- Buffalo Creek Elementary: : Recognized
Comments