Despite a drop in scores at a handful of campuses, Dripping Springs ISD maintained an overall A grade in the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) 2018-19 A-F Accountability ratings.
Those ratings, released Aug. 15, showed DSISD scored an overall 91 – which was down a point from the 92 in 2017-18 – across the three domains used by the TEA to measure campus accountability.
Domains include student achievement, which factors include State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) results, college and career readiness of students and graduation rate, as well as academic growth of students on STAAR exams and performance relative to similar districts or campuses.
Domains include student achievement, which factors include State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) results, college and career readiness of students and graduation rate, as well as academic growth of students on STAAR exams and performance relative to similar districts or campuses.
The accountability ratings also measure how different populations of students are performing in the district.
Per the results, DSISD experienced a four-point drop in both the school progress and closing the gap domains. The latter criterion went from a 91 in 2017-18 to an 87 in 2018-19.
Individual DSISD campuses also saw a decrease in grade scores as well.
Only two campuses, Dripping Springs High and Sycamore Springs Middle School, earned an A from the TEA.
In 2017-18, four DSISD campuses scored a grade equivalent to an A. The 2018-19 result was the first time the TEA issued a formal letter grade to individual campuses. Prior to the change, campuses were designated as Met Standard, Met Alternative Standard or Improvement Required.
According to the results, all but one campus, Dripping Springs High, lost at least one point in the overall score. Dripping Springs Elementary experienced the largest dip by going from a 90 in 2017-18 to an 85 in 2018-19. Per the results, Dripping Springs Elementary scored C grades in school progress and closing the gaps.
In a statement prior to his departure from the district, outgoing Superintendent Bruce Gearing said the district measures success in many ways as they develop “life-long learners and positive contributors to the world.
“While we don’t focus our instruction on the state assessments on which these ratings are based, our students generally perform well,” Gearing said. “Our greater focus is presenting students with authentic learning experiences that develop skills they will use the rest of their lives.”
Wimberley ISD also makes the grade in 2018-19
A pair of As in student achievement and school progress helped Wimberley ISD score a 92 out of 100 in the TEA’s rating system, an increase of a point from a year previous.
While none of the district’s four campuses scored higher than an 89 in the TEA’s new A-F system, three of the four improved their scores from a year previous.
Jacob’s Well Elementary and Scudder Primary both secured an 83 in 2018-19, which was a three-point rise from the 80 in 2017-18.
Wimberley High also jumped two points from an 87 to an 89, while Danforth Junior High fell two points from an 89 to an 87.
In a statement, WISD assistant superintendent Dee Howard said the rating reminds the district of the “important work ahead” as the district staff focuses on the new school year, which began Aug. 15.
Dwain York, WISD superintendent, lauded teachers, staff, administrators and students for their efforts.
“At WISD, we witness firsthand every day how teachers and students work together to achieve success at all our campuses,” York said. “Today, we experience how it all begins, and are really exited to hear that we have once again been delivered an A rating by the TEA.”
