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Critical performance reporting updates are shared through To The Administrator Addressed Correspondence (TAA) which are important messages of interest to school districts, charter schools, and regional education service centers. If you do not currently receive the weekly TAA email, you can Sign up to receive email notification when new letters are posted.
2026–27 Purple Star Campus Designation
The Texas Education Agency announced that 329 Texas public schools have been awarded the Purple Star Campus Designation for the 2026–27 school year, recognizing their commitment to supporting students from military families. This year’s designations bring the total number of Purple Star–designated schools in Texas to 427.
In 2019, Governor Abbott signed Senate Bill 1557 into law, establishing the Purple Star Campus Designation, which is awarded to schools that demonstrate a significant commitment to providing comprehensive support for students from military families. To earn the designation, campuses must meet rigorous criteria, including designating a campus-based military liaison; creating and maintaining an easily accessible campus webpage with required information for military-connected families; instituting a campus transition program for military-connected students; and supporting a military family initiative.
All Texas public school campuses are eligible to receive a Purple Star Designation, regardless of the size of the military-connected student population. Applications are accepted annually, with the designation lasting two years.View the list of the 2026–27 Purple Star Campus Designees.
HB 8 Phaseout of English II End-of-Course Assessment Graduation Requirement
House Bill 8 (HB 8), passed during the 89th Texas Legislature, 2nd Called Session (2025), and signed by Governor Abbott in September 2025, repeals and replaces the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) beginning with the 2027-28 school year. HB 8 also eliminates the English II end-of-course (EOC) assessment, both in terms of the administration of the assessment and as a graduation requirement, beginning with the 2027-28 school year.
The final administration of the English II EOC assessment will occur in June 2027.Students who graduate before August 31, 2027, must satisfy all applicable graduation requirements, including the English II EOC assessment requirement. Students who do not meet the passing standard for English II may satisfy the requirement through the Individual Graduation Committee (IGC) process, if eligible, or by meeting criteria on an approved substitute assessment. For students who graduate after August 31, 2027, the English II EOC assessment is no longer a graduation requirement. However, students enrolled in an English II course in the 2026–27 school year must still participate in the English II EOC assessment as first-time testers.
Please see the To the Administrators Addressed Correspondence on HB 8 Phaseout of English II End-of-Course Assessment Graduation Requirement for more information on assessment eligibility, retesting and Individual Graduation Committee (IGC) Considerations. Additional information regarding the transition to the Student Success Tool (SST), graduation requirements, and assessment administration timelines will be provided through future communications, trainings, and updates to House Bill 8 implementation resources.
For questions regarding the information in this section, contact the Student Assessment Help Desk.
Campuses Identified for School Improvement Interventions
Based on 2026 preliminary A-F ratings and consecutive unacceptable counts, specified campuses are required by state law to develop, implement, and possibly submit improvement plans by November 20, 2026. Correspondence will be sent to school systems impacted by state-law turnaround plan requirements in late August 2026.
Additionally, under federal accountability laws, campuses that meet certain criteria must be identified for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI), Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI), or Additional Targeted Support (ATS). The methodology for these identifications is detailed in the state’s ESSA consolidated plan and summarized in the 2026 Accountability Rating System Manual (Chapter 10). The School Improvement (SI) federal identification lists will be publicly available on the 2026 Accountability System webpage on August 14, 2026, in compliance with federal mandates. Specified campuses are required to develop and submit improvement plans to the agency by November 20, 2026.
For details on each plan type required, please reference the To the Administrator Addressed Correspondence on Campuses Identified for School Improvement Interventions under 2026 State and Federal Accountability.
Class of 2030 CCMR Refresh Webinar Series
The CCMR Deep Dive webinars are posted on the College, Career, and Military Preparation webpage. This webinar series will provide overviews of career and military readiness indicators and outline early planning actions districts can take—such as course sequencing, student advising, partner coordination, and documentation practices—to strengthen future College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) outcomes.
These sessions are intentionally focused on implementation considerations, not just policy awareness. They are designed to help districts examine their current systems, identify gaps in access or alignment, and plan for incremental improvements across multiple years. The webinars are most effective when viewed as a team. We strongly encourage districts to convene a team to engage in this learning together to support local decision‑making. Participants should walk away not just with information, but with clearer next steps for your district’s CCMR strategy.
Local Accountability System
The Local Accountability System (LAS) empowers school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to design local accountability plans for their campuses. A school system adopting a Local Accountability Plan develops its own custom version of an A – F rating methodology for their campuses.
A Local Accountability System offers several benefits, including:
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Detailed Performance Insights: Provide parents, families, and communities with comprehensive information about local school performance and progress.
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Transparent Communication: Communicate local priorities and your commitment to achieving them.
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Public Reporting: Highlight the importance of your local goals by publicly releasing LAS plans and ratings.
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Community-Focused Measurements: Measure what matters most to your community and integrate these components into your LAS plan.
Please see the link to register for the LAS Overview Webinars below. These webinars provide an overview of LAS and next steps if school districts and open-enrollment charter schools are interested in taking part in this initiative.
LAS Overview Webinar Dates and Registration Links
For more information about the LAS, visit the TEA LAS website or contact us at las@tea.texas.gov.
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