This Month's CAO Newsletter
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The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), requires each state education agency to prepare and publish an annual report card with state-level, local education agency (LEA)-level and campus-level data. The Federal Report Card for Texas Public Schools is a web-based system that generates the required federal report cards at the state, district and campus levels for easy dissemination by school districts. Every district that receives Title I, Part A funding is responsible for distributing the reports to each of its campuses, the parents of all enrolled students and the general public. The Federal Report Card data for 2023-2024 are now available.
Each LEA that receives Title I, Part A funding is responsible for disseminating the state-, LEA- and campus-level report cards to 1) all LEA campuses, 2) parents of all enrolled students, and 3) the general public via widely available public means, such as posting on the Internet, distribution to the media or distribution through public agencies. Learn more about the disseminating requirements on our website.
TEA will host office hours to support school systems with the Certification of Provision of Instructional Materials process; registration is required.
To facilitate completion of this year’s submission, school systems may request a copy of their previous year’s submission by submitting a Help Desk Ticket.
For questions about the TEKS Certification 2025–26 form, survey, or process, please submit a Help Desk ticket.
Grow Your Own (GYO) supports LEAs to intentionally build strong, stable and varied teacher pipelines from within their own communities. GYO aims to address teacher shortages in hard-to-staff areas and build interest in the teaching profession among high school students. Please visit the Grow Your Own webpage for the list of awardees.
High School Education & Training: This pathway aims to build interest in teaching among high school students, develop students' foundational knowledge and skills of teaching, and attract highly skilled teachers at a variety of campuses to lead Education & Training programs and implement high-quality Education & Training courses. Please visit the Grow Your Own webpage for more information.
LASO Cycle 3 Highlights include:
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All-time High Overall Number of Applications Received | 640 LEA applications
- All-time High Number of Strong Foundations Applications Received | Over 400 applications submitted
- All-time High Number of Rural Awards | 178 rural districts awarded
Next steps for selected LEAs:
- Districts must accept or decline their grants in eGrants, by March 24, 2025 11:59 pm CT
- Optional eGrants Workshops for Technical Assistance
TEA is looking to grow its pool of qualified monitors and conservators to help the state’s school districts and charter networks remedy issues related to accreditation, academic performance, financial accountability, or other special investigations. Monitors, conservators, and management teams provide leadership, guidance, and support to school systems working to overcome historical systemic challenges and operate effectively and sustainably to improve student outcomes. Monitors and conservators are appointed, as needed, by the Commissioner of Education.
If you are interested and would like to access the job description, would like to recommend a colleague or would like to apply for a monitor and conservator appointment by the commissioner, please visit our website for more information!
The Spring 2025 STAAR administration begins April 8, 2025. The testing windows are:
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April 8–18 for grades 3–8 reading language arts, English I, and English II;
- April 15–25 for grades 5 and 8 science, grade 8 social studies, Biology, and U.S. History; and
- April 22–May 2 for grades 3–8 math and Algebra I.
Spring 2025 STAAR Reporting
May 23—Early student-level results for STAAR EOC assessments are available in the Centralized Reporting System (CRS) for district testing coordinators and superintendents, and early administration data files are posted for district personnel to make student-level decisions.
May 30—Early student-level results for STAAR grades 3–8 assessments are available in CRS for district testing coordinators and superintendents, and early administration data files are posted for district personnel to make student-level decisions.
June 10—Preliminary STAAR EOC assessment results for accountability are available in the Family and Research Portals.
June 17—Preliminary STAAR grades 3–8 assessment results for accountability are available in the Family and Research Portals.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released an updated comprehensive FAQ document regarding HB 1416 which outlines the requirements for accelerated instruction, details on supplemental instruction, options for parental modifications, and accelerated instruction requirements for students who do not achieve approaches or higher on STAAR grades 3-8 or EOC assessments. Section E of this document is specific to students with disabilities. Visit the TEA Accelerated Instruction webpage for more information.
Nominations Open for 2025 Student Heroes Award. Each year, one student from each of the 15 SBOE districts is honored for their impactful contributions ranging from supporting local charities and founding their own organizations to leading community improvement projects and assisting those in need.
The State Board of Education (SBOE) encourages students, teachers, administrators, and community members to nominate any Texas public school students who exemplify the core value of selfless service. To be eligible, service projects performed by nominees must be voluntary and not tied to curriculum requirements, school service projects, or pre-existing community programs. Award winners will receive a plaque and a medal presented by their SBOE district member. The nomination deadline is April 25, 2025. To learn more or submit a nomination, visit the SBOE website.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released the 2024 Annual Report, offering a comprehensive overview of the progress made in Texas public education while also addressing the challenges and opportunities that remain.
The report provides a detailed look at TEA’s strategic priorities, ongoing implementation of legislation passed during the 88th legislative session, and the statewide efforts to strengthen educational outcomes for Texas’s more than 5.5 million public school students. The report also features an accessible explanation of how the Texas public education system is funded and how those funds are allocated to school systems.
“Education is the foundation of our state’s future, and the 2024 Annual Report reflects our continued dedication to ensuring all Texas students have access to the teachers, resources, and opportunities they need to succeed,” said Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath. “This report not only tracks our progress but also identifies areas where additional investments are critical to ensuring every student receives a quality education that prepares them for the future.”
The 2024 Annual Report serves as a vital resource for understanding the current state of education in Texas and the ongoing efforts to provide every student with a high-quality educational experience.
Texas 4th graders continue to perform better (241) than the national average (237) in mathematics, increasing by two points compared to 2022, with scores increasing across most student groups. African American and Asian students saw 4-point increases compared to 2022, ranking first and second nationally among their peers. Students classified as economically disadvantaged also saw an encouraging 5-point increase, outpacing the national average. In reading, Texas 4th graders saw a 2-point decline, mirroring a trend seen nationally among nearly all student groups. In 8th grade, Texas students saw declines in both reading and math, mirroring national trends.
2024 STAAR and NAEP data both show some evidence that targeted supports are working in earlier grades, while results from both assessments highlight the need for additional resources to support the academic recovery of students in older grades. For more information on Texas’s 2024 NAEP results, please visit: nationsreportcard.gov.
We are thrilled to share that the Texas SPED Support website has been recognized with a Gold Star Award at the Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) Annual Star Awards! This honor celebrates excellence in school communications and design, with independent judges evaluating projects based on creativity, effectiveness, and impact.
A Gold Star is awarded to projects that not only fulfill their purpose with skill and creativity but also stand out as truly exceptional. This recognition underscores the Texas SPED Support website’s role in providing valuable resources and fostering meaningful connections for educators.
Check out the award-winning Texas SPED Support website if you haven’talready and register for an account. You can even sign up for SPED updates based on the topics of interest to your workstream and receive email notifications about new and upcoming resources.
We are pleased to share, online, updated non-regulatory guidance, Parent and Family Engagement under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as Amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act.
The purpose of this guidance is to assist state educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and schools in administering the parent and family engagement provisions of Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Specifically, this version of the guidance consists of technical updates to the Department’s guidance, entitled Parental Involvement: Title I, Part A, originally issued on April 23, 2004, to ensure that the guidance reflects parent and family engagement requirements under the ESEA, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This version of the guidance supersedes the April 2004 version.
You can access the document under the “Resources” tab on this web page.
Brenham ISD
TEA staff visited Brenham ISD to learn about the work the district is doing in implementing high-quality instructional materials. Staff were able to observe classrooms using Zearn as a Tier 1 math product and emphasizing blended learning. Staff were also able to engage in collaborative conversations with the district’s instructional leaders and teachers.
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Please visit the TEA website to access the most recent Superintendent call debriefs, which provide valuable information and updates related to educational leadership and administration.
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