What does it mean when a Texas school gets an 'A' rating?
Schools across the state were issued 2023 A-F accountability ratings from the Texas Education Agency last month, showing every district in North Texas dropped in scores – some more than others.
Prosper ISD was one of the highest-scoring districts in North Texas for the 2023 A-F ratings, earning an A.
TEA Commissioner Mike Morath has told CBS News Texas he agrees the 2023 ratings are not beneficial for schools. Though he stands by the argument, districts should still be scored, just like every student is.
"Do those school systems issue GPAs to kids in high school? Do they have class ranks?" Morath said. "The concept of taking multiple pieces of student performance and combining them into grades is something that our schools have been doing for well over 100 years."
The A-F ratings have not been released because of a separate lawsuit. Similar to the 2023 lawsuit, many districts across Texas sued Morath for his grading methods. Until that lawsuit is resolved, the 2024 results will not be shared.
When Lacey Beasley talked to PISD's Superintendent Holly Ferguson, she said the ratings aren't what they are chalked up to be.
The following conversation was lightly edited for clarity.
Beasley: How much stock should people put into these ratings?
Ferguson: It is not a focus in Prosper ISD. How in the world could our work that we do every single day for students, staff, parents in this community be defined by one letter? So the 'A' is really insulting.
Beasley: Is this even useful today?
Ferguson: No, the ratings are not useful today. The ratings and the scores that we receive on students, even if we had gotten them in the school year, we receive those at the end of the school year, so we refer to them many times in education as dead data. It's not the best setup.
Beasley: So, the TEA releases these ratings without physically coming to the schools?
Ferguson: It's a little bit of a slap in the face. You just hear, well, it's a 'D' school or 'F' school. That's a sad thing that we've put those letters basically around each kid's neck and every single teacher and educator. We don't wear our 'A' in support of those schools that are in 'F' because it doesn't matter.
Beasley: Were parents calling you about the 'A' rating, or are they aware of what's going on?
Ferguson: I've not received one email, one phone call. No one has stopped me at an event to say, 'Oh, that's so amazing that you're in 'A' district.'
Beasley: The A-F ratings came out at the same time the school voucher bill passed. What are your thoughts on the timing of that?
Ferguson: That was all strategic. It was political in nature, and it was the ability to reinforce to the State of Texas, to parents in the State of Texas, to say schools are failing. They're not doing well. Then it makes it okay for vouchers. It makes it okay for people to think poorly about their public schools, to think poorly about the educators in the school district; it's harsh, it's cruel, and it's unfair.
