AISD Performance Improvements Mean End of Oversight for Low Performing Schools

from Austin ISD

The Texas Education Agency has informed Superintendent Meria Carstarphen that it has terminated the three-year assignment of a Management Team to “address longstanding academic performance issues at certain campuses,” and “to oversee the continued implementation of school improvement and/or reconstitution plans for multi-year AU campuses” within Austin Independent School District.       

The TEA Management Team had been assigned to the Austin School District since November 2007.    

In a letter to Dr. Carstarphen, Education Commissioner Robert Scott wrote, “The academic progress reflected in the 2010 academic accountability ratings leads me to conclude that it is no longer necessary for the TEA-assigned management team to direct the actions of the district for matters related to academic improvement.”
        

TEA released its latest Accountability Ratings on July 30, 2010, and 109 Austin campuses—or 99 percent—now meet, or exceeds, state standards.  A total of 68 Austin schools are now rated either Exemplary or Recognized, more than ever before.  Seven Austin schools advanced from Academically Unacceptable in 2009 to Academically Acceptable in 2010, and AISD now has only one campus rated AU.
        

At his July 30 press conference, announcing the new state ratings, Commissioner Scott said of AISD, “They’re making improvements.  It makes me happy because I see a commitment to the East side and as I said last year, east and west need to meet and agree that all our kids deserve the same education opportunities and we’re starting to see progress.”