Maybe you've heard about the new A through F accountability rating for public schools. Learn more next.

Hello Klein ISD. I hope you had a great holiday!

During the 84th Texas legislative session, HB 2804 passed requiring the assignment of an A - F rating to all public schools and districts.

The rating system is slated to begin in the Spring of 2018.

However, this week the Texas Education Agency will release unofficial "what if" A-F ratings based on the grades each campus and district would have received had the system been in place.

Sounds simple, right? After all, our students are graded using an A-F scale.

Here's the difference. Students receive multiple opportunities to show proficiency throughout a grading period...

... and these are averaged to receive a letter grade. Students have an opportunity to work...

...on understanding concepts more deeply and then retake tests to show mastery.

Schools on the other hand, will have ratings mostly based upon the results of STAAR assessments taken on a single day and few, if any, opportunities to improve after the tests are taken.

Additionally, although this A-F system is being touted by some as a system that will provide "clarity" and "simplify" the public's understanding of state accountability...

...upon closer examination it's actually quite complex behind the grade. Let me give you an example.

Check out this formula being used to calculate A-F ratings in Domain III.

TEA has decided to use a linear regression analysis, using the slope-intercept form, y=mx+b, to assign Domain III ratings.

Think back to your algrbra days and check this out.

This formula is used to calculate a predicted economically disadvantaged performance rate.

Then, the rates of economically disadvantaged students meeting the Satisfactory, Postsecondary Ready and Advanced standards...

are compared to this "predicted" economically disadvantaged performance rate and a letter rating is then assigned.

The letter grade is simple, but what it stands for is not.

Just as we would never reduce a student's worth to a single grade...

...the reduction of our schools and district to a single grade based on such a limited measure...

...devalues the unique qualities and gifts of over 51,000 students, reducing every student to a school or district's single assigned grade.

How is that beneficial to our students or our community?

Listen, our students, teachers, staff and administrators are continuing to work hard each day...

...and I want you to know that any accountability rating is a comma, not a period.

Schools receiving an A or B rating are not going to stop working hard.

A rating of D or F does not mean a school is failing.

Our goal is always continuous improvment and we promise to make teaching and learning better each day because Better Never Stops!

Don't Klein ISD students deserve a system of evaluating their school which informs us of needed growth areas...

...and helps point them on the path towards improvment instead of one which forces a focus on test scores?

We encourage you to ask your legislators to go back to the drawing board before implementing an A-F rating system as defined by House Bill 2804.

That's Klein ISD in more than 90 seconds. See you next week.