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Final 2024 Accountability Manual

The purpose of this communication is to inform school districts and open-enrollment charter schools (school systems) about the publication of the final rule adopting the 2024 Accountability Manual.  

Overview

The 2024 Accountability Manual describes the 2024 accountability system and explains how information from various sources is used to measure district and campus performance, assign accountability ratings, and award distinction designations. 

The manual also includes information that impacts future accountability cycles beyond 2024 accountability, thus allowing the manual to remain relevant for more accountability cycles.   

The administrative rule adoption process for Chapters 1–12 of the 2024 Accountability Manual is complete. The final 2024 Accountability Manual, filed on Wednesday, April 24th, is now published on the 2024 Accountability Manual webpage and will become effective on May 14, 2024. 

A–F Accountability

The Texas A–F accountability system is a tool to help school systems continuously improve student performance to achieve the goals of eliminating achievement gaps based on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status and ensuring Texas is a national leader in preparing students for postsecondary success. One of the design commitments of A–F is that the system maintains, to the extent possible, the same calculations and cut scores for up to five consecutive years without annual changes, to allow for better year-over-year performance comparisons. 

2024 is not a Refresh Year

As noted in the To the Administrator Address Correspondence (TAA) from February 15, 2024, in the 2022-23 school year, the A–F system was refreshed. The refresh included changes to cut points, domain and indicator methodology, and changes to the overall system. To honor the A-F commitment to maintain the refreshed system without annual changes for up to five consecutive years, 2024 cut points, domain and indicator methodology, and the overall system remain the same as those communicated and established in rules adopted for 2023.

Background of Proposed 2024 Accountability Manual

The proposed 2024 Accountability Manual included previously communicated changes and updates based on policy changes. Preliminary 2024 Academic Accountability System Resources regarding the previously proposed changes are available on the 2024 Accountability Development webpage. After the public comment period, these proposed changes have been incorporated into the Final 2024 Accountability Manual. Edits for clarity regarding consistent language and terminology throughout each chapter are also embedded in the Final 2024 Accountability Manual due to public comment. 

Final 2024 Accountability Manual

Below is a summary of the clarity edits that were made to the adopted version of Chapters 1–12 to provide clarification to readers in response to public comments.  

• Chapter 1 - Added clarifying language regarding compliance reviews and special investigations. 
• Chapter 2 - Added clarity regarding how student demographic data is used to identify emergent bilingual (EB) students/English learners (ELs); included the definition of EL Performance Measures; and clarified when EL Performance Measures are used. 
• Chapter 3 - Added clarity regarding how the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) Spanish to STAAR® are used for growth and incorporate the clarifications from Chapter 2. 
• Chapter 4 - Added clarity regarding how student demographic data is used to identify emergent bilingual (EB) students/English learners (ELs); included the definition of EL Performance Measures; and clarified when EL Performance Measures are used. 
• Chapter 9 - Added clarity regarding the final PEG list.  
• Chapter 12 - Added detailed language to emphasize the change of report only to performance level assignment indicators for Bilingual Education/ English as a Second Language/ Emergent Bilingual in Results Driven Accountability (RDA). 

Contact Information

For any questions about the Final 2024 Accountability Manual, please contact the Performance Reporting Division at 512.750.2816 or performance.reporting@tea.texas.gov.