This Week in Performance Reporting: April 10, 2020

Texas Education Agency Updates

Good afternoon, Performance Reporting bulletin members.

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What’s New in Performance Reporting

A–F Accountability

We’re continuing to monitor the extraordinary circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting effects on school districts. In addition to cancelling STAAR testing for April, May, and June 2020, Governor Greg Abbott has issued Executive Order no. GA-14 that orders public schools to remain closed to students through May 4, 2020.

On March 30, 2020, TEA received approval from U.S. Department of Education to waive statewide assessment and accountability requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), for the 2019–2020 school year. Additionally, for 2020 state academic accountability, all districts and campuses will receive a label of Not Rated: Declared State of Disaster to recognize that the closure of schools during the state’s testing window inhibited the ability of the state to accurately measure district and campus performance. 

The state accountability system relies on fair, reliable, and valid assessment results to assign ratings and to identify schools for support and improvement. Performance Reporting has received questions about the impact of COVID-19 related disruptions on future accountability systems. The agency is working internally and with the U.S. Department of Education to identify issues and develop possible solutions. We will also consult with stakeholders as soon as it is feasible to do so.

As a reminder, the agency has created the Coronavirus (COVID-19) support and guidance website as the primary source of up-to-date information and answers to frequently asked questions about disruptions caused by COVID-19. Questions specific to COVID-19 should be sent to the dedicated email address for all COVID-19 questions—disasterinfo@tea.texas.gov. Using this email, rather than emailing individual departments is the best way to ensure the agency tracks questions and responds in a timely manner.

Alternative Education Accountability (AEA) Registration

The 2020 AEA campus registration process for the state academic accountability system has been delayed due to the continued impact of COVID-19 on districts across the state. Tentatively, registration has been rescheduled for late spring. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 developments and will provide districts with an updated timeline for AEA registration soon.

Accountability Spring Learning Webinars

The upcoming webinar on Understanding the College, Career, or Military Readiness (CCMR) Outcomes Bonus scheduled for May 8, 2020 at 1:00 pm has been postponed due to potential district closures. A new date will be announced later this spring.

If you were unable to participate in a webinar, you can view archived recordings at this link.

Employment Opportunities in Performance Reporting

The Performance Reporting Division is looking for someone to join our team. Interested and qualified candidates can apply for the following positions:

Education Specialist III

The Education Specialist III for Performance-Based Monitoring (PBM) will conduct complex consultative and technical assistance work with moderate latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment in the annual design, development, implementation, and maintenance of systems within Performance-Based Monitoring (which include monitoring reports and data analyses).

Contact Information
Texas Education Agency
Performance Reporting Division
(512) 463-9704
performance.reporting@tea.texas.gov