Rating Texas Schools

Whether you have school age children or not, you are still going to want to know how Texas public schools are rated. The perceived quality of education that the children receive will impact housing demand and the correspondingly potential price appreciation that you can hope to gain on your Spring TX home.

Let’s begin with the basics. The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test is the State of Texas’ standard measure for the academic performance of students in public schools. TAKS test assessed student attainment of skills in math, English, science, reading, and social studies. It is developed and graded by a test making company.

Performance ratings are given to individual students, schools, and school districts. Individual schools and school districts receive ratings for the overall performance of their students. A school and a school district will receive a rating of exemplary, recognized, academically acceptable, or academically unacceptable. Let’s examine how a school or a school district earn the various ratings.

In 2007, 7.9% of the campuses in the State of Texas earned the coveted Exemplary rating. An Exemplary rating means all student groups on the campus had 90% or more of their students pass each subject of the TAKS.

Twenty-nine percent of the campuses earned the Recognized rating. A Recognized rating means all student groups had 75% or more of their students pass each subject on the TAKS. Earning the Recognized rating was more difficult in 2007 as the requirement for the percentage of students passing was increased from 70% to 75%.

Aacademically Acceptable encompasses the largest range of academic performance and as such the largest group of schools almost 46% of the state’s campuses receive this rating. An Academically Acceptable ratings means the school or district has met the following standards: 1) at least 65% of the tested students passed English language arts/reading, writing, and the social studies TAKS test; 2) at least 45% of the tested students passed the TAKS mathematics exam; 3) at least 40% of the tested students passed the TAKS science test; 4) at least 50% of the SDAA II tests taken were passes; 5) at lest 75% of the Class of 2006 graduated in four years of continued school; and 6) no more than 1% of the students in the seventh and eight grades dropped out in one year.

In 2007, 3.6% of the campuses received the lowest rating of Academically Unacceptable. The three most common reasons for an Academically Unacceptable rating for campuses were: failing TAKS science only, failing mathematics only; and failing science and only.

In addition to the other items taken into consideration for your decision on housing, the schools and school district should be included. The rating earned by the schools will impact the resale value of your Spring Texas home and certainly impact your children’s future.