Final Accountability System Manual for 2025 Ratings and Proposed Amendment to ESSA State Plan

The purpose of this communication is to inform school systems about the publication of the final rule adopting the Accountability Rating System Manual for 2025 ratings and the posting of a proposed amendment to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State Plan related to ESSA Talent Plan requirements.
 
The final Accountability Rating System Manual was filed on Monday, March 17, is posted online, and will become effective on April 6, 2025. The Accountability Ratings Appeals Process and Timeline was also filed on March 17, is posted online, and will become effective on April 6. The final manual and timeline are the result of feedback collected from the proposed rules posted in February.   

The A–F Accountability Rating System Manual adopted in 2024 included early communication of changes impacting future accountability cycles to ensure the manual would remain relevant for multiple cycles. As a result, the rules for the 2025 accountability year were communicated in the adopted 2024 manual, and the 2025 rating manual is a re-adoption.

Overview

The Accountability Rating System Manual describes the 2025 accountability system and explains how information from various sources is used to measure district and campus performance, assign accountability ratings, and award distinction designations. The manual also covers topics related to designations under the federal accountability system and Results Driven Accountability (RDA) that take effect per the final rule.

The manual also includes information that impacts future accountability cycles beyond 2025 accountability, thus allowing the manual to remain relevant for more accountability cycles.   

The Accountability Ratings Appeals Process and Timeline specifies the process and timeline by which school districts and open-enrollment charter schools can challenge an agency decision relating to an academic rating that affects the district or campus, including a determination of consecutive school years of unacceptable performance ratings.

A–F Accountability 

The Texas A–F accountability system is a tool to help school systems continuously improve student performance to achieve the goals of eliminating achievement gaps based on race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status and ensuring Texas is a national leader in preparing students for postsecondary success. One of the design commitments of A–F is that the system maintains, to the extent possible, the same calculations and cut scores for up to five consecutive years without annual changes allowing for better year-over-year performance comparisons. 

2025 A-F Ratings Methodology as Adopted in 2024

In the 2022–23 school year, the A–F system was refreshed. The refresh included changes to cut points, domain and indicator methodology and the overall system. As noted in the To The Administrator Address Correspondence (TAA) from February 15, 2024, to honor the A–F commitment to maintain the refreshed system without annual changes for up to five consecutive years, 2025 cut points, domain and indicator methodology and the overall system remain the same as those communicated and established in rules adopted for 2023.

Final Accountability Rating System Manual 

2025 Academic Accountability System Resources regarding the proposed changes are available on the 2025 Accountability System webpage. After the public comment period, these proposed changes have been incorporated into the Final Accountability Rating System Manual. Edits for clarity regarding consistent language and terminology throughout each chapter are also embedded in the final Accountability Rating System Manual based on public comment.  

Below is a summary of the clarity edits that were made to the adopted version to provide clarification to readers in response to public comments.

• Chapter 1 - Clarification was provided at adoption in the Accountability Subset Rule section, the STAAR EOC Retest Performance section, the table for the TSDS PEIMS-Based Indicators section, the Other Indicators section, and in the Compliance Reviews and Special Investigations Related to Data Concerns section.
• Chapter 2 - Clarification was provided at adoption in the College, Career, and Military Readiness Component section; the Schedule for Phase-in of College Prep 12th Grade Requirement section; the College, Career, and Military Readiness Component—Minimum Size Criteria and Small Numbers Analysis section; the Graduation Rate Component section; the Graduation Rate—Methodology section; and the AEA CCMR Rate—Methodology section.
• Chapter 4 - Clarification was provided at adoption in the Two Lowest Performing Racial/Ethnic Groups from the Prior Year section; in the 0–4 Points section; in the College, Career, and Military Readiness Performance Status—Minimum Size Criteria and Small Numbers Analysis section; and in the Minimum Number of Evaluated Indicators section.
• Chapter 5 - Clarification was provided at adoption in the Student Achievement Domain section, in the District Proportional Domain Methodology section, and in the Overall Rating (Districts and Campuses) Scaled Score section.
• Chapter 10 - Clarification was provided at adoption in the table for the Example Campus Identified for Targeted Support and Improvement section and in the Exit Criteria for Comprehensive Support and Improvement section.

At adoption, edits to provide clarity and consistent language were also made to the Accountability Ratings Appeals Process and Timeline; however, there were no changes to the timeline or accountability policy at adoption.

Amendment to the ESSA State Plan

Additionally, TEA has posted a proposed amendment to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State Plan to provide clarity and align language used related to the ESSA Talent Plan requirement. This does not impact state A–F or federal accountability identifications. ESSA requires all districts that receive Title I funds to create plans to address any disparities that result in low-income students and minority students being taught at higher rates than other students by inexperienced, out-of-field, and ineffective teachers. A detailed summary and full draft of the ESSA amendment with changes highlighted is available on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) webpage. Please submit comments on the proposed ESSA amendment through the ESSA Amendment Feedback Form by Monday, April 28, 2025.  

Contact Information

For any questions about the final manual or the appeals timeline, please contact the Performance Reporting Division at 512.750.2816 or performance.reporting@tea.texas.gov.  

For any questions about the ESSA amendment proposal, please contact the Division of School Improvement at 512.463.5226 or sidivision@tea.texas.gov.