School Rankings, Indices, and Letter Grades
The numerical rankings and letter grades come from CHILDREN AT RISK’s 2014 Public School Rankings. To rank public schools across Texas, CHILDREN AT RISK compiles and analyzes the latest data collected by the Texas Education Agency, accessed through the Texas Academic Performance Reports system and direct requests. CHILDREN AT RISK seeks to hold schools accountable for student performance on standardized testing in addition to other measures such as graduation rates and improvement over time.
- School Rankings: CHILDREN AT RISK’s 2014 Texas Public School Rankings ranked a total of 7,614 schools across the state. Each school’s profile includes its individual rank out of the total number of schools ranked for that grade level in Texas.
- Achievement Index: The Achievement Index reflects raw performance in key achievement areas: STAAR Reading- Advanced; STAAR Math- Advanced; and Graduation Rate.
- Performance Index: The Performance Index captures performance on the Student Achievement indicators using an analysis that controls for level of economic disadvantage. It is intended to measure the effectiveness of people and programs at a campus independent of differences in student demographics.
- Growth Index:The Growth Index captures improvement over time in standardized testing. It is composed of Gain Scores in Math and Reading.
- Letter Grades:All schools were assigned a letter grade based on their Composite Index. In this guide, you will see the following grades: A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D, F, or Not Available (NA).
Campus Profile Indicators:
- Average Class Size: The average number of students in a 3rd grade classroom at that campus. The Texas Education Agency defines the allowable class size limit for grades kindergarten through four to be 22 pupils, though campuses may request an exception.
- Economically Disadvantaged Students: The percentage of students that are economically disadvantaged, i.e., coded as eligible for free or reduced-price lunch or eligible for other public assistance.
- Mobility Rate: The percentage of students in membership at a school for less than 83% of the school year (i.e., has missed 6 or more weeks at a particular school).
- Student Diversity: The percentage of students in each category of ethnicity or race.
- Special Education Students: The percentage of students served by programs for students with disabilities.
- Student - Teacher Ratio: The number of students at the school divided by the number of teachers at the school. This indicator represents the number of students for every one teacher at the school.
- Total Enrollment: The total number of students enrolled at that campus.
Performance Indicators
- CHILDREN AT RISK Graduation Rate: The percentage of first time freshmen who graduated from any public high school in Texas within four, five, or six years of entering ninth grade.
- Math Gain Score: Gains in student-level math performance from one year to the next, relative to other students with the same past score on STAAR Math exams. The campus level scores are averages of the student level normal curve equivalent gains, where a student with an average gain would have a normal curve equivalent score of 50.
- Reading Gain Score: Gains in student-level reading performance from one year to the next, relative to other students with the same past score on STAAR Reading exams. The campus level scores are averages of the student level normal curve equivalent gains, where a student with an average gain would have a normal curve equivalent score of 50.
- Average SAT Score: The average score for all students taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).
- Students Passing AP/IB Exams: The percentage of students with at least one AP or IB exam score at or above the criterion (3 on AP or 4 on IB). These refer to the results of the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) examinations and the International Baccalaureate’s (IB) Diploma Program examinations. High school students may take one or more of these examinations and may receive advanced placement or credit upon entering college.
- STAAR Advanced Math: The percentage of students scoring at Level III Advanced on the STAAR Math exam (sum of all grades tested). This standard indicates that students are well prepared for postsecondary success.
- STAAR Advanced Reading: The percentage of students scoring at Level III Advanced on the STAAR Reading exam (sum of all grades tested). This standard indicates that students are well prepared for postsecondary success.
The Performance Scale
To classify performance on the Report Card, statewide data was used to calculate percentile ranks for each indicator.
- Above Average: The school’s indicator for that category scored in the top 25% statewide.
- Average: The school’s indicator for that category scored the middle 50% statewide.
- Below Average: The school’s indicator scored in the bottom 25% statewide.
Any field labeled “NA” indicates that data was unavailable from the Texas Education Agency at the time of publication.
School Assets
During the 2013-2014 school year, CHILDREN AT RISK conducted a survey to identify the different programs, or “school assets,” available on individual campuses. An online survey was emailed to the school principal designated in the Texas Education Agency’s Texas Education Directory. If no response was gathered in the email survey, CHILDREN AT RISK staff members conducted follow-up phone calls to the individual schools. During those calls, school asset information was collected from a variety of school personnel, including, but not limited to, office managers, assistant principals, and school counselors.
The school assets that appear in this guide were selected based on information gathered through an online parent survey, a series of three parent focus groups, and information reported in the school survey. School assets included in the elementary, middle, and high school profiles are as follows:
- Art Classes
- After School Program
- Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), College / Dual Credit Options
- Athletic / Sports Programs
- Before School Program
- College Counseling
- Music Classes
- Pre-K Program (Full Day)
- Pre-K Program (Half Day)
School asset information has been self-reported by a school representative or staff member, and is subject to change at any time. This survey was intended as an opportunity for schools to share additional information about the programs available on their campuses. CHILDREN AT RISK understands that not all schools had the time, or the resources to complete this survey.
If you are a school administrator and believe that your school’s asset data is incorrect or has not been included in this guide, please visit TexasSchoolGuide.org to update this information.
Innovative Resources
CHILDREN AT RISK recognizes that there are many organizations in the community that are working to improve the experience that students have in Dallas public schools. These organizations and their services have been labeled “innovative resources” for the purpose of Texas School Guide. Because often times these “innovative resources” cannot be reflected in numerical data, CHILDREN AT RISK has worked with community partners to gather information on organizations working directly in schools to provide services that fall under the following categories: after school programming, college access, educational services (tutoring, reading help, etc.), parent involvement, school health and social emotional health.
This data may reflect the schools that organizations were working in during the previous school year (2013-2014) and parents should make every effort to contact the organizations or the schools directly to confirm that the organizations are still working on each campus. The following organizations are included in Texas School Guide: Empowering Families to Succeed in Public Education:
Dallas Profiles
| Organization | About the Organization | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Success Program | The Academic Success Program (ASP Dallas) is a Texas non-profit college access program that aims to build a college-going culture in DFW high schools. ASP Dallas is an open-enrollment program currently available at seven DallasISD high schools. | www.aspdallas.org/ |
| Advise TX | Advise TX places exceptional recent college graduates from all fields of study on high school campuses as near-peer college advisers to lead low-income and first-generation students to college. | www.advisetx.org/ |
| AVANCE | AVANCE-Dallas is a community-based, nonprofit organization that provides family support and education services to at-risk, economically impoverished families. | www.avance-dallas.org |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters | Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported 1-to-1 relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. | www.bbbstx.org |
| Communities in Schools | Communities In Schools surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. | www.communitiesinschools.org |
| Education is Freedom | Education is Freedom (EIF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing comprehensive college planning services and producing life changing results for students and families. | www.educationisfreedom.com/ |
| Education Opens Doors | Education Opens Doors and its student manual Roadmap to Success evolved from the passion and efforts of several Teach for America alumni and education pioneers, led by the vision of a young entrepreneur with a heart for students. | www.educationopensdoors.org |
| Fuel Up to Play 60 | Fuel Up to Play 60 is a program founded by the National Dairy Council and NFL, in collaboration with USDA, that empowers students to take charge in making small, everyday changes at school. Students can win cool prizes, like an NFL player visit or Super Bowl tickets, for choosing good-for-you foods and getting active for at least 60 minutes every day. | www.fueluptoplay60.com/ |
| Ignite | IGNITE serves young women (14-22) in their own communities, with an emphasis on those that are underserved. These are girls who may or may not have the confidence to run for office, but have a harder time seeking out and self-nominating for the kinds of leadership opportunities and training they need to get there. | www.ignitenational.org/ |
| LeadershipISD Community Practicum | Leadership ISD is an independent non-profit, which believes every child in Dallas should have access to a high-quality public education and that it is our responsibility as citizens to ensure that happens. There are many ways to impact student achievement, but Leadership ISD’s focus is on educating and empowering community members to support public schools through informed action. | www.leadershipdisd.org/ |
| PTA/PTSA | PTA is a grassroots organization made up of parents, teachers and others around the state who have an interest in children, families and schools. Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) or Parent Teacher Student Associations (PTSAs) are organizations on individual campuses that can help parents get involved and advocate for their children. | www.txpta.org/ |
| Rainbow Days | Rainbow Days’ Children, Youth and Family Services (CYFS) division provides life skills education to children, youth and families living in high-risk situations in the Dallas area. | www.rdikids.org/ |
| Readers 2 Leaders | Readers 2 Leaders’ mission is to develop and grow the reading skills of children in West Dallas ages 3-10 so that they succeed in school, graduate and leave school prepared to live productive lives. | www.readers2leaders.org/ |
| Reading Partners | Reading Partners works in Title I elementary schools to support students from low-income communities who are reading 6 months to 2.5 years below grade-level. Reading Partners recruits and trains community volunteers to work one-on-one with students for 45 minutes twice a week, following a structured, research-based curriculum. |
www.readingpartners.org/ |
| Real School Gardens | The REAL School Gardens program unites teachers, parents, businesses and the students themselves to design a learning garden tailored to each school’s unique needs. | www.realschoolgardens.org/ |
| SOAR Collaborative | SOAR (Services Optimizing Academic Reach) is a collaborative education initiative striving to have a collective and measurable impact on educational outcomes in West Dallas schools. | SOAR Collaborative |
| The Concilio | The Concilio’s mission is to build stronger communities by empowering parents to improve the education and health of their families. | www.theconcilio.org/ |
Fort Worth Profiles
| Organization | About the Organization | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Advise TX | Advise TX places exceptional recent college graduates from all fields of study on high school campuses as near-peer college advisers to lead low-income and first-generation students to college. | www.advisetx.org/ |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters | Big Brothers Big Sisters’ mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported 1-to-1 relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. | www.bbbstx.org |
| Camp Fire First Texas | Camp Fire First Texas’ mission is to provide opportunities for children and youth, and those who care for them, to realize their potential and become caring, self-directed individuals, responsible to themselves and others; and to improve those conditions in society that affect children, youth and their families. | www.campfirefw.org/ |
| Communities in Schools | Communities In Schools surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. | www.communitiesinschools.org/ |
| Fort Worth After School | Fort Worth After School’s mission is to provide quality before and after school programs in a safe environment that result in educational, physical and social development for elementary, middle and high school students. | Fort Worth After School |
| Fuel Up to Play 60 | Fuel Up to Play 60 is a program founded by the National Dairy Council and NFL, in collaboration with USDA, that empowers students to take charge in making small, everyday changes at school. Students can win cool prizes, like an NFL player visit or Super Bowl tickets, for choosing good-for-you foods and getting active for at least 60 minutes every day. | www.fueluptoplay60.com/ |
| Ignite | IGNITE serves young women (14-22) in their own communities, with an emphasis on those that are underserved. These are girls who may or may not have the confidence to run for office, but have a harder time seeking out and self-nominating for the kinds of leadership opportunities and training they need to get there. | www.ignitenational.org/ |
| PTA/PTSA | PTA is a grassroots organization made up of parents, teachers and others around the state who have an interest in children, families and schools. Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) or Parent Teacher Student Associations (PTSAs) are organizations on individual campuses that can help parents get involved and advocate for their children. | www.txpta.org/ |
| Real School Gardens | The REAL School Gardens program unites teachers, parents, businesses and the students themselves to design a learning garden tailored to each school’s unique needs. | www.realschoolgardens.org/ |
CHILDREN AT RISK will make every effort to include updated and current school asset data at TexasSchoolGuide.org and in the next editions Texas School Guide!