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

The purpose of this communication is to inform school districts and open-enrollment charter schools (school systems) about the publication of the proposed Accountability System Manual for 2025 Accountability Ratings and amendment to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State Plan. 

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.  

In the 2022-23 school year, the A–F system was refreshed, and improvements were made to cut points, domain and indicator methodology and to the overall system. 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. In alignment with this commitment, there are no proposed changes to the accountability manual for 2025 A–F accountability ratings.

2025 A–F Ratings Methodology as Adopted in 2024

The A–F Accountability 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 a re-adoption is proposed. The following constitute key previously adopted rules to be implemented with 2025 ratings: 

• Programs of Study and Industry-Based Certification (IBC) Alignment: College, Career and Military Readiness (CCMR) credit will be earned on 2025 accountability for earning an approved IBC from either the 2019–22 list or the 2022–25 list (with sunsetting limit). IBCs in CCMR will also require earning credit in at least one level 2 course in a career and technical education program of study aligned with that IBC. The IBC Lists for Public School Accountability and the IBC to Program of Study Crosswalks are on the Industry-Based Certifications website. The Program of Study framework documents and Frequently Asked Questions are available on the Programs of Study website. 

Additionally, as the Results-Driven Accountability (RDA) system is not yet fully integrated into A–F, the following changes are proposed for 2025 Results-Driven Accountability: 

• Three previously Report-Only indicators will be assigned a Performance Level (PL). 
• Seven previously Report-Only indicators will no longer be reported through RDA.  
• Three Report-Only indicators have been clarified as indicators for which future PL assignment is not planned. 
• The Hold Harmless (HH) PL has been discontinued. 

Impacted indicators are specified in Chapter 12 of the A–F Accountability System Manual. 

Rulemaking and Public Comment 

The Texas Accountability Advisory Group (TAAG) and the ESC Accountability Group (EAG) provided feedback on these and upcoming 2026 topics. The Accountability System Development webpage has been updated with materials from the December 2024 TAAG meeting.  

The proposed A-F Accountability System Manual for 2025 ratings has been published on the 2025 Accountability System webpage. The proposed rule will be published in the Texas Register on January 10, 2025, followed by a 30-day period to gather public comments. Details on the public comment period and how to submit comments can be found on the Proposed Commissioner of Education Rules webpage. 

• Proposed Chapters 1-12: The proposed amendment to 19 TAC §97.1001 proposes the adoption of excerpts of the A-F Accountability System Manual for 2025 Ratings into rule. These chapters outline the indicators, standards and procedures used to determine accountability ratings for districts, campuses and charter schools. They also detail the criteria for distinction designations and the calculations for the 2025 Results Driven Accountability (RDA) performance levels. 
• New Rule for Accountability Appeals: An additional rule has been proposed to provide clarity regarding the timeline for accountability rating appeals. 19 TAC §97.1002 establishes that the annual accountability appeals window and due date will be communicated on the date preliminary accountability ratings are published in TEA Login (TEAL). 

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has also proposed updates to 19 TAC §74.1003, detailing the evaluation criteria for certifications to be included on the 2025–30 Industry-Based Certification (IBC) List for Public School Accountability. The 30-day public comment period on this proposed rule is also scheduled to begin on January 10, 2025. Comments can be submitted on the Proposed Commissioner of Education Rules webpage. 

• IBC Evaluation Criteria: Certifications must be industry-recognized, attainable by high school students, portable, and serve as a capstone or end-of-program assessment. They must meet specific standards, including those related to occupational performance, independently assessed and recognized by relevant industry or government bodies. Certifications will be reviewed and updated every five years, starting in 2028. 
• IBC Tiering: Industry-based certifications that meet all evaluation criteria are proposed to be categorized into three tiers based on labor market demand, wage earning potential and skill levels as determined by data from the Texas Workforce Commission and the United States Department of Labor. 

College Preparatory Course Review and Approval for Future Accountability Cycles

College Preparatory Courses: As communicated previously, TEA is implementing a phased approach to enhance the quality and consistency of College Preparatory courses. Only agency-approved courses completed in the 12th grade will count towards CCMR credit as of 2027 accountability (Class of 2026). 

• Agency-approved courses: The review and approval of courses to meet rigorous college readiness standards is underway. The responsibility to apply for approval to offer College Preparatory courses that count toward (CCMR) credit lies with the college preparatory course providers, such as Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) or Education Service Centers (ESCs). Providers’ applications are due to TEA by 5 p.m. CST, January 31, 2025. For more information, please visit the TEA College Preparatory Courses for CCMR Accountability webpage. 
• Courses taken in 12th grade: Students currently in the 11th grade will only receive CCMR credit for College Preparatory courses completed in their 12th grade year (Class of 2026). Students currently in the 12th grade will be the last to receive CCMR credit for College Preparatory courses taken in the 11th grade (Class of 2025).  

Amendment to the ESSA State Plan

The proposed re-adoption of the 2024 manual includes a re-adoption of the targets used in the Closing the Gaps domain, including Progress to Achieving English Language Proficiency (ELP) targets that are based on the TELPAS domain proficiency level results. There are no proposed changes to the ELP methodology for 2025. 

Rulemaking procedures to adopt new targets based on the TELPAS composite proficiency level results will take place in a forthcoming adoption of the Accountability System Manual for 2026 ratings. This requires TEA’s submission of an amendment to the ESSA state plan to adjust the Progress to Achieving English Language Proficiency methodology and targets for the 2026 Accountability Ratings cycle. 

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, February 10, 2025.  

The proposed A-F Accountability System Manual for 2026 ratings, with the USDE-approved targets and military enlistment data sourced from the Department of Defense, as previously announced, will be published in the Texas Register in Spring 2025. This will be communicated in a To the Administrator Addressed correspondence. Though the 2026 manual will be the adopted and effective manual at the time of 2025 ratings, 2025 ratings will be based on the rules in the manual adopted for 2025.

Contact Information

For any questions about the proposed Accountability System Manual for 2025 Ratings or the ESSA state plan amendment, please contact the Performance Reporting Division at (512) 750-2816 or performance.reporting@tea.texas.gov. 

For any questions about Programs of Study, Industry-Based Certifications, the College Preparatory course approval process or the College Preparatory completion requirements, please contact the College, Career and Military Preparation Division at (512) 936-6060 or ccmp@tea.texas.gov.