Women’s Storybook Project brings “hope inside dark places.”   Many children have a fond memory of their mom reading them a book before bed, flipping through the pages and pausing to explore pictures. Children with incarcerated parents, however, may miss out on this comforting experience.  “If you think about the library story time, or someone reading to you in school, or even just a mom sitting down with her children in the evening to read a book, it’s a comfortable and joyful experience,” Jill Gonzalez, executive director of Women’s Storybook Project, said. view article

In recent weeks, the Fort Worth ISD has faced renewed scrutiny. Public comments by Mayor Mattie Parker and the abrupt resignation of Superintendent Angélica Ramsey after just two years in the role have left many families concerned. The message from our civic leaders emphasizes data points and test scores. This leads some to believe that our public schools are failing. However, many parents of FWISD students believe this narrative is harmful and overlooks the successes happening at numerous campuses across the district. Read more at: https://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/other-voices/article293776654.html#storylink=cpy view article

Pearland ISD received an “A” rating from the state of Texas through its financial rating system, FIRST. It’s the highest rating available to school districts, according to district documents. view article

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As 13 Investigates continues looking into the qualifications of Houston Independent School District teachers, the district told us hiring over the summer was "fast and furious." 13 Investigates was the first to report this school year that the number of uncertified teachers more than doubled since last year. Our investigation found that 7% of HISD's teachers were not certified last school year, but this year, that number is up to 20%, which means one in every five teachers is not certified. view article

Joy Wright, a student in Round Rock ISD, earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36. Only about one-quarter of 1% of students who take the ACT earn a top score. Senior year is a busy time for many students ss some of them are getting ready to take their SATs and ACTs. view article

The school district behind one of the most famous high schools in the country now stands alone as the best in the state. Not only that, the school district known for producing some of the nation's best athletes was ranked among the Top 10 best in the country. view article

In 2023, less than half of Texas students met grade level standards on the standardized math assessment. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted previously existing issues with math education, experts say, including insufficient training for teachers and a lack of intervention for struggling students.  Low math achievement rates were widely reported even before COVID-19, said Gabe Grantham, an education policy adviser for nonpartisan think tank Texas 2036.  At Austin ISD, officials said they saw achievement fall amid learning loss and workforce turnover. view article

The largest charter school network in Texas is intervening in a lawsuit that has temporarily blocked the Texas Education Agency from releasing academic accountability ratings for the 2023-2024 school year. view article

Over 100 school districts sued the TEA in 2023 over concerns that the new system would unlawfully lower their ratings for the 2022-23 school year.  The STAAR test—which the state redesigned to feature more open-ended questions and be administered fully online—has become a “flawed assessment instrument” that the TEA failed to verify by a third party, according to the lawsuit. The state also began grading written test responses using an automated computer system, which the plaintiffs said caused the test to become “not valid and reliable.” Additionally, the TEA did not provide districts fair notice of changes to the accountability system and made it “mathematically impossible” for many districts to receive an A rating, according to court documents. One adjustment would’ve raised the requirement to receive an A for college, career or military readiness from 60% to 88%.  -  Lyttle sided with the plaintiffs in blocking the ratings for the 2023-24 school year after hearing oral arguments and witness testimony from the TEA and districts involved in the case Sept. 16-17.  A TEA spokesperson told Community Impact the agency plans to appeal; however, the injunction will remain in effect unless an appeals court issues a new ruling, according to court documents.  A full trial on the case has been set for Feb. 10 at 9 a.m. in Travis County.   view article

Aldine ISD Superintendent LaTonya Goffney inherited a struggling district when she took the helm in the 2018-19 school year, and the COVID-19 pandemic only made her job harder. Still, state data show that while similar school districts have somewhat bounced back, Aldine still lags behind them under Goffney’s leadership. view article

Even amid the chaos of the first day of school at Aldine ISD’s Reed Academy, Superintendent LaTonya Goffney radiates calm and confidence. She commands every space she enters, and not just because her outfit for the occasion is a striking jade green pantsuit. Children gleefully high-five the seventh-year superintendent as she strides through the halls. Teachers stop in their tracks to greet her, bouncing in excitement as they embrace. Her jokes, told through a beaming smile, send ripples of laughter through classrooms. view article

Katy Independent School District has been named the top public school district in Houston and across Texas, according to the 2025 Niche rankings. This marks the fourth consecutive year the district has secured the No. 1 spot in the greater Houston area. “Our educators and staff are dedicated to providing the best learning experience for our students,” said Dr. Ken Gregorski, Superintendent of Katy ISD. “For four years, Niche has confirmed what we already know — Katy ISD sets the standard for excellence in public education.” view article

For the second year in a row, Leander ISD will use waivers from the Texas Education Agency to hire and employ teachers without a teaching certificate. Texas school districts can apply for waivers allowing uncertified candidates to teach for up to three years, excluding prekindergarten, special education and bilingual teaching positions. Educators employed through the waivers are expected to work toward receiving their certification while teaching. The LISD board of trustees approved certification waivers for teachers in the 2024-25 school year at a Sept. 19 meeting. view article

Governor Greg Abbott today congratulated 31 Texas schools that have been recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2024. This recognition by the U.S. Department of Education highlights schools that excel in academic performance or make significant strides in closing achievement gaps. “Being chosen as a National Blue Ribbon School is a special distinction that reflects the hard work of teachers, staff, administrators, students, and parents in striving for academic excellence,” said Governor Abbott. “These schools represent the very best of what Texas education can offer. Texas will continue to be a national leader in education because we ensure our schools have the resources and support they need for young Texans to receive a high-quality education. Together, we will chart a course toward a bigger, brighter Texas.” view article

A new list of the country's best colleges is in, and some notable Texas schools made an appearance.  U.S. News & World Report has released its rankings for the 2025 Best Colleges, evaluating nearly 1,500 colleges and universities across 17 factors with an emphasis on social mobility and success after graduation. With this in mind, the majority of these factors relate to various outcome measures.  "Now in its 40th year, the Best Colleges rankings continue to be a trusted source of information for students and their families," said LaMont Jones, E view article

29 more Killeen ISD schools have been recognized for serving military families. Killeen ISD has announced that 29 schools in the district have been recognized as Purple Star schools by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in honor of their "strong school support for military-connected students and families." view article

The Socorro Independent School District on Monday celebrated its 39 Purple Star Designated Campuses for the 2024-2025 school year, a designation granted by the Texas Education Agency. This year, 38 schools were redesignated while Options High School was newly designated as a Purple Star campus. view article

Dozens of districts sued Texas saying the ratings painted an unfair picture of their schools. Others voluntarily have released their own. view article

The Navarro ISD’s commitment to serving military families is not going unnoticed. The Navarro Independent School District (NISD) is proudly announcing that all four of its campuses have been awarded the esteemed Purple Star Designation by Governor Greg Abbott. The Purple Star designation is a program established by the Texas Legislature through Senate Bill 1557, with the goal of highlighting schools that go above and beyond to meet the unique needs of these students. view article

Upgrades to the system Texas uses to collect student, staff and financial data from school districts are causing serious concerns among school administrators and data specialists across the state who say the changes have led to thousands of unresolved errors that could potentially cause them to lose out on state funding. Each of Texas’ more than 1,200 school districts is required to regularly submit data to the state, including information on attendance, enrollment, students who receive special education, children experiencing homelessness and the number of kids who have completed a college preparatory course. State officials use the information to determine whether schools are meeting performance standards and how much funding they receive each year. view article

A Travis County judge has again blocked the state from releasing A-F accountability grades. Judge Daniella DeSata Lyttle on Wednesday granted a coalition of school districts a temporary injunction preventing the Texas Education Agency from making the scores public. Five school districts – including Forney ISD and Crandall ISD – sued state Education Commissioner Mike Morath last month to challenge the rollout “because those ratings are based on a flawed assessment instrument (the new STAAR test) that is not valid and reliable,” the lawsuit read. view article

In Leander ISD, third grade student performance in math and reading declined on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness last school year, according to district data. District officials presented the early childhood testing data at a Sept. 19 board of trustees meeting alongside data showing improved performance in college, career and military readiness, or CCMR, for high school seniors.  House Bill 3, passed in 2019, requires Texas school districts to adopt five-year goals for early childhood reading and math as well as CCMR indicators. view article

Prosper ISD’s National Defense Cadet Corps program has transitioned to a full U.S. Army Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program. The gist: The program transition became effective Aug. 12, according to a district newsletter. What it means: The U.S. Army JROTC is a leadership and citizenship program that helps high school students develop life skills and values. The program’s curriculum is focused on leadership, citizenship, and personal responsibility, according to the district’s website. view article

Six years after state legislators created a path for high-performing teachers to earn raises and in some cases six-figure salaries, Conroe ISD has expanded its program to include more than 200 educators and is looking to add more campuses and teachers. Terral Jackson, Teacher Incentive Allotment Program coordinator for Conroe ISD, said the district has 26 campuses and 267 teachers participating in the incentive program designed to recruit and retain teachers at economically disadvantaged campuses view article

The Austin school district has not met minimum state exam standards for students with disabilities in the past four years, according to an independent review of the district’s special education programs. Stetson and Associates, a consulting firm, conducted a review of the Austin school district’s services for students with disabilities starting during the 2019-20 academic year, although the evaluation was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a change in leadership at the district. view article

A Valley school district is working to convince parents that it’s safe for their kids to be in school. Officials at the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District say they’re working hard to help families feel more comfortable about students being back in the classroom. view article

The Waco Independent School District and its charter school partner, Transformation Waco, could see more than half of their students start the school year Sept. 8 via remote instruction, according to registration numbers provided by both entities. view article

Dallas ISD is in a precarious position when it comes to grading. About 86 percent of its student body is classified as economically disadvantaged, more than 25 percent higher than the state’s average. Its population of limited English speakers is almost half, more than double the state’s. There are significant challenges when it comes to making sure all of its students are receiving adequate learning despite the disruption from the pandemic. More than 12,000 hot spots were purchased for students who lacked access to internet. All of these things affect grading, especially when these kids don’t have a school to go to. view article

Lloyd Potter, researcher and director of UTSA’s Institute for Demographic and Socioeconomic Research, is supporting local Head Start and Early Head Start programs toward being more effective. Potter has worked with the City of San Antonio’s Department of Human Services Early Head Start-Child Care and Head Start Programs, and with local nonprofit San Antonio AVANCE Inc. to better assess their programs to provide information about how they are meeting the needs of the children and families they serve. view article

For years, Stephens Elementary School in Aldine ISD has been defined by the challenges that it faces rather than its academic successes. Nearly 90 percent of its students are considered economically disadvantaged by the Texas Education Agency. Nearly half are English language learners. And to state education officials, the school was failing academically. view article

A fifth grade Lumberton Independent School District student reported "vulgar" language in the STAAR reading test last month, according to information from LISD.  view article

On Nov. 9 Hays CISD released the draft of its innovation plan, which must be approved by the board of trustees in order to receive a district of innovation designation. If approved, the district would be able to make changes to the academic calendar and to exempt some Career and Technical Education instructors from teacher certification requirements. The district of innovation designation was created by the Texas Legislature in 2015 as a way to give independent school districts some of the flexibility that charters schools have under state law. While becoming a district of innovation can allow for numerous exemptions to curriculum or logistics requirements, the most-used exemption is the one that allows schools to start earlier in August. view article

Some Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District students will have the opportunity to graduate with a high school diploma and an associates of science degree. At a recent school board meeting, the administration provided the board with information on a pilot initiative in partnership with Lone Star College CyFair, the College Academy, which will provide 2017-18 freshman students at Cypress Lakes High School with an opportunity to graduate with a high school diploma and an associates of science degree. view article

At the center of our district’s Learning Model, one of our Guiding Documents that directs all we do in LISD, is “focus on student learning.” After all, the whole reason our district exists is to provide an education to the children in our boundaries. While our teachers and staff have done an outstanding job over the years working to foster a challenging, supportive and effective learning experience, we recognize the benefit of taking a step back every so often to ensure our many educational pieces are creating a cohesive puzzle. Our last official audit was conducted nearly 20 years ago under Superintendent Tom Glenn. Since then, we have experienced incredible population growth in our area, as well as great strides in the teaching and assessment arenas.  view article