Some win, some fail in state education ratings

As four Hidalgo County school districts increased their performance under the Texas Education Agency’s new accountability ratings released today, Weslaco and Edcouch-Elsa school districts actually slipped down a rating level.

Edcouch-Elsa school district is now considered academically unacceptable under the 2010 ratings released Friday afternoon.

The district had received an academically acceptable rating last year.

Though it did not reach the lowest rating, Weslaco school district’s rating slipped from recognized to academically acceptable.

In making the assessments, state officials consider graduation and dropout rates along with student performance on the standardized Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills tests.

Two districts—IDEA Public Schools and Monte Alto—received a promotion from the recognized to exemplary rating, the highest designation.

The state also bumped the Mercedes and Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school districts up to recognized after they sat as academically acceptable last year.

However, the state slapped a lowest-performing, academically unacceptable rating on only two Hidalgo County schools: Edcouch-Elsa High School and Evangelina Garza Elementary in La Joya.

When a school underperforms at the unacceptable level for four or more consecutive years, the state may sanction or even close the campus.

Though IDEA and Monte Alto succeeded in reaching the highest rating, state Commissioner of Education Robert Scott admitted adjustments to the absolute standards can help school districts’ supposed performance.

“(A) number of schools and districts did use progress measures or exceptions to move up one rating category, which is allowable under the state accountability system,” Scott said in a press release. “We understand that some people have concerns with these measures…”

School districts with accountability ratings

Donna: Academically Acceptable (2010) Academically Acceptable (2009)

Edcouch-Esla: Academically Unacceptable (2010) Academically Acceptable (2009)

Edinburg: Academically Acceptable (2010) Academically Acceptable (2009)

Hidalgo: Recognized (2010) Recognized (2009)

IDEA Public Schools: Exemplary (2010) Recognized (2009)

La Joya: Academically Acceptable (2010) Academically Acceptable (2009)

La Villa: Academically Acceptable (2010) Academically Acceptable (2009)

McAllen: Academically Acceptable (2010) Academically Acceptable (2009)

Mercedes: Recognized (2010) Academically Acceptable (2009)

Mission: Recognized (2010)  Recognized (2009)

Monte Alto: Exemplary (2010) Recognized (2009)

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo: Recognized (2010) Academically Acceptable (2009)

Progreso: Recognized (2010) Recognized (2009)

South Texas: Exemplary (2010) Exemplary (2009)

Valley View: Recognized (2010) Recognized (2009)

Weslaco: Academically Acceptable (2010) Recognized (2009)

Neal Morton covers education and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956)314-0896.