Updated 2021–22 What If data available in TEAL

The purpose of this communication is to inform school systems of data now available to assist school leaders with internal evaluation of academic performance using What If ratings for the 2021–22 school year. The 2022 What If ratings do not replace the final 2022 A–F ratings; instead, they are provided for reference and are based on the methodology in the final rule adopting the 2023 Accountability Manual, announced in the October 31, 2023 TAA. District and Campus What If ratings for the 2021–22 school year are available in TEAL (Texas Education Agency Login) for district use. A statewide summary of the 2021–2022 What If ratings is available on the 2023 Accountability Development webpage.    

As noted previously: The issuance of 2023 A–F ratings under this final rule is pending and subject to change based on judicial rulings or decisions from the 88th Legislature during a special called session. This communication is solely focused on data reports related to the 2021–22 school year. 

Additional correspondence will be sent by the Texas Education Agency on November 14th to provide information about reports to be made available in TEAL to school systems on underlying data for 2022–23. The data released will not include scale scores. It will only include raw scores of the underlying indicators from students in the accountability subset. 

Background on A–F 

The Texas A–F accountability system was established by House Bill (HB) 22 (85th Regular Session) in 2017, for the purpose of continuously improving student performance toward the goals of eliminating achievement gaps based on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status and ensuring the state is a national leader in preparing students for postsecondary success. Prior to 2017, cut points and indicators in the accountability system were updated annually, preventing school systems from easily comparing year-over-year performance in reaching goals for students across the state. Since the passage of HB 22 in 2017, state law requires cut points and indicators in the accountability system to be updated periodically, not necessarily annually, to achieve the statutory goals of reducing achievement gaps and ensure Texas is a national leader in preparing students for postsecondary success. Given this policy change, cut points and indicators in the A–F system have remained largely unchanged since 2017. HB 22 statutory changes mean that indicators and cut points established in the refresh will remain largely unchanged for approximately the next five years, so the refresh establishes a new five-year baseline. Also of note, under more recent statutory changes, A–F ratings are required to be issued statewide each year; the commissioner of education is no longer permitted to consider the use of “Not Rated” on a statewide basis, even as part of a transition in the accountability system. 

Contact Information 

For more information about stakeholder engagement and how the A–F Refresh has been developed, visit the 2023 Accountability Development Materials webpage. Please direct questions to the Performance Reporting Division at (512) 463-9704 or performance.reporting@tea.texas.gov.