Several Valley schools included in state PEG list

More than a dozen Rio Grande Valley public schools will have to offer parents the option of transferring their children to other campuses for the 2010-2011 school year.

Schools included on the Public Education Grant list have had at least 50 percent of its students fail at least one subject of the state’s standardized tests for two years out of a three-year period — it does not have to be the same subject — or be deemed academically unacceptable by the state at least once during that time frame.

“It’s kind of a black eye,” said agency spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson. “Schools are not performing up to standards.”

There are fewer schools on the PEG list for the 2010-2011 school year than the previous year, but several of the 13 Valley campuses on the current list have been on it for the past few years.

There were 28 campuses from the Valley on the PEG list for the 2009-2010 school year.

Because the state looks at schools’ performances over a three-year period, it usually takes about three years for a campus to be taken off the list even if it meets academic standards in following years, according to the agency.

Schools the state deems “exemplary” or “recognized” — the top two designations campuses and districts can receive on state accountability ratings — can show up on the PEG list if they had two years of low passing rates on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills exams or an academically unacceptable rating within a three-year period.

Administrators from some of the school districts represented on the list said they are working hard to improve student achievement. Of the 13 Valley schools on the list, four received “recognized” and five campuses were rated “academically acceptable” ratings from the state for 2009.

Progreso and Lyford high schools, as well as Muñoz and Garcia elementary schools were “recognized” for 2009. But low performance in past years kept them on the current list.

Fernando Castillo, the Progreso school district’s superintendent, calls being on the PEG list a contradiction to the progress that campus has made. About three years ago the district implemented an early college high school to boost student performance. The school earned a “recognized” rating from the state in 2009.

“We have done everything we’ve been asked to do,” Castillo said. “Progreso not only met, but exceeded (state standards).”

The Edcouch-Elsa school district has summer and Saturday academies to help students improve in subjects with which they are struggling and the system reviews students’ achievement every six weeks to see if any need additional help with their studies, said Frances Rocha, the district’s interim superintendent.

“Academics are always a priority,” Rocha said. “We want students to succeed every single day.”

La Villa school district superintendent Norma Salaiz said the list is another reminder to continue improving student achievement.

Low passing rates in math and science tests, as well as “academically unacceptable” ratings from the state in 2008 and 2009 have landed La Villa High School on the PEG list.

“We just do what we need to do to improve our students’ scores,” Salaiz said. “Until every child is passing we need to work hard.”

Under the PEG program, parents can ask for their children to be transferred to other campuses within their home district that are meeting state standards or to campuses outside their district.

Districts are not required to accept students from schools on the PEG list, but cannot discriminate. However, schools that accept students transferring under the PEG program receive about 10 percent more of the adjusted basic allotment per PEG transfer student; that amount varies from school to school, according to the agency.

Jennifer L. Berghom covers education and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4462.