|
|
Friday, November 20, 2009 |
Serving Seguin and Guadalupe County since 1888
|
|
|
Marketplace
Sections
Services
Service Center
|
|
 |
|
TEA responds to local districts’ appeals
Published October 29, 2009
GERONIMO — It was good news in Marion ISD and “disappointing” news in Navarro ISD.
On Wednesday, both districts received results from the Texas Education Agency on appeals of their district-wide accountability ratings.
Navarro Superintendent Dee Carter released a statement saying that NISD’s accountability rating appeal was denied.
“As superintendent, I am very disappointed that the excellent academic performance of Navarro High School students and the outstanding work of the faculty will not be acknowledged by the TEA this year, and the school’s rating will remain academically acceptable instead of recognized,” Carter said.
Carter said they were surprised to learn of the acceptable rating when the ratings were released over the summer.
Navarro High School had met all of the academic qualifications to receive a recognized rating, however, two students who left the school had been counted as drop-outs because their whereabouts had not been documented.
The students were contacted and provided copies of the diplomas from the private school they had transferred to and graduated from.
The appeal was denied due to the district’s determination of the graduation status of the two former students after the Public Education Information Systems resubmission deadline.
Carter said the district would make sure that problem never happened again.
“We’ve learned a lot through this experience, and we’ve learned how to track the four-year cohorts for TEA so it will not happen again,” Carter said.
Marion ISD received good news when it came to their ratings appeal. The high school and the district overall ratings were upgraded to academically acceptable.
Marion Superintendent James Hartman said the district was very happy with the results of the appeal.
“We’re pleased that TEA saw fit to grant that waiver,” Hartman said. “We feel the original rating was an error. It was reflective of some students being counted that shouldn’t have been.”
The original unacceptable rating was based on dropout/noncompleter data that included a residential facility for incarcerated youth located in MISD, which the district believes should not have been included in the high school’s dropout data.
Hartman said there are many benefits to the appeal being granted.
“Even though we had to go through a lot of waiting, and the appeal, it did allow us to really hone in on what we need to be doing to provide a quality education and instruction for our students.”
Share |
Save |
Mail |
Print |
Comment
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|