Harlandale ISD Families,
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is releasing the 2022–2023 school accountability ratings this Thursday, April 24. These ratings, which are now two years old, were delayed from being released due to a legal challenge brought by more than 100 school districts across Texas. The challenge came after TEA changed the way schools would be rated without giving districts enough notice or guidance on how scores would be calculated.
Despite widespread opposition from school districts across the state, the courts have allowed the release of these two year old ratings.
We want to be transparent with our families about what this means for Harlandale ISD.
The ratings being released this week reflect changes to how the state calculates school performance, not a decline in the quality of teaching or learning happening in our classrooms. Under the previous system, larger campuses carried more weight in determining a district’s score.
The revised model now gives equal weight to every campus, regardless of size. As a result, some campuses may show lower letter grades, and our overall district score may appear lower. This isn’t due to a lack of effort or progress, but rather a result of how the system is now structured.
Though A-F ratings have not been issued since 2019, Harlandale ISD has continued to make strides on student growth, academic achievement and the overall progress of our Harlandale Legacy. This work can be seen in:
Improved elementary math scores across 3rd, 4th and 5th grades
Significant gains in overall performance at multiple campuses
Continued success in 8th Grade Algebra I, with 97% of students passing the end-of-course exam
Students in the Class of 2024 earned twice as many Industry-Based Certifications as the Class of 2022 marking a strong step forward in workforce preparation
In just the last few years, our students and staff have made real, measurable progress. While a single score may not tell the whole story, we’ll keep doing the work that helps our students grow with purpose.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Gerardo Soto
Harlandale ISD Superintendent of Schools