Education Agency Says 7 of 8 Texas Schools Meet Standards

DALLAS (AP) – About 87 percent of schools in Texas met state academic standards this year, according to ratings from the Texas Education Agency. The Dallas Morning News reports that schools and districts with poor assessments had an opportunity to contest after preliminary ratings came out in August. Thirteen districts and 59 schools in the state filed appeals, including nine schools in Dallas, seven in Fort Worth, and three in Richardson. Two Dallas charter schools, Focus Learning Academy and Nova Academy Southeast, also tried to convince the agency that they deserved a better rating. Two districts and 13 schools won appeals statewide, including Nova Academy Southeast. The agency has released a list of schools and districts that won but hasn’t explained Education Commissioner Michael Williams’ decisions.