Academic and financial ratings were subject to a mandatory public hearing as required by state law as part of a recent school board meeting.

The Garland ISD Board of Trustees received a summary of academic and financial ratings the district has collected over the past year during its Tuesday, Feb. 28, meeting. Director of Research, Assessment and Accountability Veronica Salgado-Joyner presented the 2021-2022 Annual Performance Report, which summarized STAAR results, Texas Education Agency (TEA) ratings and the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas assessment.

The ratings in all categories are covered for the previous academic year because they are backward-looking assessments, meaning they focus on past data. Salgado-Joyner said Garland ISD did not receive an accountability rating last year because the TEA has placed a temporary hold on its assessment.

“This is for all school districts in the state because of the impacts of the pandemic,” Salgado-Joyner said. 

The district also received a score of “needs assistance” for its special programs because it is not in the category of stage one, the highest designation in the Results Driven Accountability System, said Executive Director of Student Support and Specialized Services Tanya Vargas Ramos.

The district was rated in stage three in 2015, but has made strides to reach stage two, said Ramos, adding that the district continues to march toward stage one.

“You can see that we have made progress moving from stage three to stage two,” Ramos said. “Our goal is to reach stage one, which means that we’re meeting all state requirements.”

Salgado-Joyner said TEA requirements stipulate that the district also identify campus improvement objectives for all 72 GISD schools. All objectives are board approved and are available online. During the public hearing, no individuals came forward to address the board, and no action was taken.

For the full story, see the March 9 issue of The Sachse News.