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Accountability Research Reports and Abstracts

The Accountability Research Unit in the Division of Research and Analysis publishes annual reports on Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations, college entrance examinations (SAT and ACT), enrollment trends, grade-level retention, and completion, graduation, and dropout rates. The unit also coordinates and publishes the Comprehensive Report on Texas Public Schools, which is delivered to the Texas Legislature. In addition, the unit publishes occasional reports covering other education topics of special interest in Texas. This page presents a list of all reports produced by Accountability Research, by topic and by type.

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Accountability and Performance

  • Predictive Power of Grade 3 TAKS and STAAR on Future Academic Success (December 2019), PDF (557 KB)
    • This study examines the external validity of the two most recent Texas statewide standardized tests, Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) and State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR), by analyzing whether passing the Grade 3 Reading tests predicts subsequent academic success.
  • Policy Research Report No. 16. Texas Assessment of Academic Skills and College Entrance Examination Performance Trends in Texas (December 2003), PDF (241 KB)
    • Two key measures of high school performance in Texas public schools are performance on the exit-level Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) and performance on the SAT I and ACT. Between 1994 and 2002, TAAS scores increased substantially, whereas SAT I and ACT scores remained essentially stable. This report reviews differences between the TAAS and the SAT I and ACT examinations that contributed to differences in performance trends, namely (1) purpose and type of test; (2) examinee population; and (3) academic proficiency level assessed. Because of these differences, the assessments are valuable, but distance, measures of high school performance.
  • Policy Research Report No. 15. Program Participation and Academic Progress of Second Language Learners: Texas Middle School Update (May 2002), PDF (1.2 MB)
    • This report has been prepared as an update to Policy Research Report No. 10, Academic Achievement of Elementary Students with Limited English Proficiency in Texas Public Schools (1998). The purpose of this study is to examine program participation and academic progress of second language learners over time. The study followed a cohort of Texas public school students from 1992-93 to 1999-00 as they progressed through the elementary and middle grades. An overview of Texas policy related to students with limited English proficiency describes policy changes that took place during this time. Demographic characteristics of middle school students once identified as limited English proficient (LEP) and their classmates who were not LEP were examined. Special language program participation patterns were examined from a longitudinal perspective. Participation in the assessment program and progress of students in the cohort toward passing the exit-level test required for graduation were also examined.
  • Policy Research Report No. 10. Academic Achievement of Elementary Students With Limited English Proficiency in Texas Public Schools (January 1998), PDF (517 KB)
    • This report presents a longitudinal overview of academic performance of limited English proficient (LEP) students entering first grade in Texas public schools in 1992-93. The report provides a demographic profile of Grade 1 students in 1992-93 and follows those students through the 1996-97 school year. Five-year patterns of student enrollment, campus mobility, participation in special programs, and grade-level promotion are examined. Also, Texas policy related to LEP students is reviewed.
  • Policy Research Report No. 9. Expanding the Scope of the Texas Public School Accountability System (June 1997), PDF (250 KB)
    • This report describes the evolution of the statewide assessment program and development of the accountability rating system for Texas public schools and school districts. Since the report was prepared during the state legislative session, it concludes with an update of changes in state statute related to student assessment and school accountability.
  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 3A. A Study of Student Mobility in Texas Public Schools: Supplemental Data Report (March 1997)
    • This supplement to STEPS Report No. 3 (March 1997) provides data on student mobility rates at the county, district, and campus levels.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 3. A Study of Student Mobility in Texas Public Schools (March 1997)
    • The purposes of this study were to examine the magnitude of student mobility in Texas public schools by reporting how many students are moving, when and where they are moving, and who is moving; and to clarify the relationships between mobility and academic performance at the individual student, campus, and district levels.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 2. Case Studies of Successful Campuses: Responses to a High-Stakes State Accountability System (May 1996)
    • The Texas public school accountability system, established by statute in 1993, focuses attention on performance expectations for campuses and districts measured by standardized test scores, dropout rates, and attendance rates. For the first time, the state accountability system clearly states what schools are expected to achieve in measurable terms, and projects increasingly higher standards through the year 2000. This report presents case studies of three schools and their response to implementation of the accountability system, emphasizing the features associated with effective school-wide improvement in each case.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 1. The Development of Accountability Systems Nationwide and in Texas (April 1996)
    • This is the first in a series of reports on the educational progress of Texas public schools. It reviews the history of concerns that led to the current emphasis, nationally and in Texas, on campus- and district-level accountability. Research on the use of campus- and district-level accountability systems is presented, and the development of the integrated accountability system now used in Texas is described.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.


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AP and IB

The Accountability Research Unit in the Division of Research and Analysis publishes annual reports and downloadable data on Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) testing. Examination results for the 2010-11 school year and later years are presented in two separate annual reports, which are published sequentially as the data become available. The reports cover AP and IB participation and performance in Texas public schools and AP participation and performance in Texas and the United States for public and nonpublic schools combined. Examination results for the 2009-10 school year and earlier years are presented in a single annual report.

2022-23 School Year

2021-22 School Year

2020-21 School Year

2019-20 School Year

2018-19 School Year

2017-18 School Year

2016-17 School Year

2015-16 School Year

2014-15 School Year

2012-13 and 2013-14 School Years

2011-12 School Year

2010-11 School Year

2009-10 School Year and Earlier Years


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Block Scheduling

  • Policy Research Report No. 13. Block Scheduling in Texas Public High Schools (September 1999), PDF (246 KB)
    • The study presented in this report examines the relationships between different types of schedules and overall student performance in Texas public high schools. Overall performance was measured in terms of dropout rates, grade-level retention rates, campus-level results for the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS), and participation and performance on college admissions tests (SAT and ACT) and Advanced Placement (AP) examinations.

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College Admissions Testing: SAT and ACT

The Accountability Research Unit in the Division of Research and Analysis publishes annual reports on college admissions testing. Examination results for the class of 2011 and later classes are presented in three separate annual reports, which are published sequentially as the data become available. The reports cover SAT and ACT participation in Texas Public Schools, SAT and ACT performance in Texas public schools, and SAT and ACT participation and performance in Texas and the United States for public and nonpublic schools combined. Examination results for the class of 2010 and earlier classes are presented in a single annual report.

Class of 2023

Class of 2022

Class of 2021

Class of 2020

Class of 2019

Class of 2018

Class of 2017

Class of 2016

Class of 2015

Classes of 2013 and 2014

Class of 2012

Class of 2011

Class of 2010 and Earlier Classes

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Completion, Graduation, and Dropout Rates

The Accountability Research Unit in the Division of Research and Analysis publishes an annual report on graduates and dropouts in Texas public secondary schools, as well as special reports on related topics. The annual report includes state summaries of the annual dropout rate, longitudinal graduation, completion, and dropout rates, and state attrition rates. Supplements to the report present secondary school completion, graduation, and dropout data at the county, district, and campus levels.

Reports from 1992-1998

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Counseling and Guidance

  • Texas School Counseling and Guidance Programs: Final Study Report Summary (August 1996)
    • This is a summary of Final Study Report: Texas School Counseling and Guidance Programs (August 1996), which describes findings about counseling and guidance services in Texas public schools and outlines a professional identity for the school counselor that addresses students' needs.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Texas School Counseling and Guidance Programs: Final Study Report (August 1996)
    • The primary purpose of this study was to assess the availability and quality of counseling and guidance in Texas public schools, in an effort to define a professional identity for the school counselor that effectively addresses student needs.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Texas School Counseling and Guidance Programs: Case Studies Report (July 1996)
    • This report presents results from case studies, summarizing or including specific data on actual counseling and guidance programs and practices, and on the needs of students, counselors, other school staff, parents, and community members at 21 school campuses across the state.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Policy Research Report No. 5. Counselors in Texas Public Schools (August 1994), PDF (265 KB)
    • This report introduces a two-year study of counseling and guidance programs in Texas public schools and provides a cross-section of information currently available about Texas counselors. The report provides a summary of demographic and employment data about Texas school counselors. National and state models of guidance programs are presented along with an overview of issues related to those models.

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Education Grants

  • Incentive Grant Programs: A Report to the 76th Texas Legislature (December 1998), PDF (148 KB)
    • This report provides background information on the development of state-sponsored incentive grant programs directed toward schools and/or individual educators nationwide and provides an update on the status of performance incentive programs in other states. The report also presents an overview of Texas policy related to performance incentives directed toward individuals and schools.
  • Innovative Education Grant Program, 1992-93 Through 1993-94: Part I: Program Evaluation (November 1994)
    • Part I of this report presents information about the structure of the Innovative Education Grant Program, funding levels and sites, degree of project implementation and indications of project effectiveness.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Innovative Education Grant Program, 1992-93 Through 1993-94: Part II: Program Descriptions (November 1994)
    • Part II of this report provides a description of each grant program, followed by the Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) performance report for each campus.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.

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The Accountability Research Unit in the Division of Research and Analysis publishes an annual report presenting enrollment trends in the Texas public school system, as well as special reports on related topics. The annual report provides statewide enrollment data by grade, race/ethnicity, gender, and economically disadvantaged status and for special populations and instructional programs. Enrollment data for the 20 regional education service centers throughout the state are presented, as are data for open-enrollment charter schools. National enrollment trends are also reported.

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Grade-Level Retention

The Accountability Research Unit in the Division of Research and Analysis publishes annual reports on grade-level retention in Texas public schools. Data for the 2010-11 school year and later years are presented in two separate annual reports, which are published sequentially, as the data become available. The reports cover grade-level retention by student characteristic and program participation, and grade-level retention and promotion with data on performance of students on the reading and mathematics state assessments. Data for the 2009-10 school year and earlier years are presented in a single annual report, with a supplement that presents data on grade-level retention at the district level. In 2019-20, the format of the report on grade-level retention rates was changed from a PDF report to an interactive report.

2022-23 School Year

2021-22 School Year

2020-21 School Year

2019-20 School Year

2018-19 School Year

2017-18 School Year

2016-17 School Year

2015-16 School Year

2014-15 School Year

2013-14 School Year

2012-13 School Year

2011-12 School Year

2010-11 School Year

2009-10 School Year and Earlier Years

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Limited English Proficiency

  • Policy Research Report No. 15. Program Participation and Academic Progress of Second Language Learners: Texas Middle School Update (May 2002), PDF (1.2 MB)
    • This report has been prepared as an update to Policy Research Report No. 10, Academic Achievement of Elementary Students with Limited English Proficiency in Texas Public Schools (1998). The purpose of this study is to examine program participation and academic progress of second language learners over time. The study followed a cohort of Texas public school students from 1992-93 to 1999-00 as they progressed through the elementary and middle grades. An overview of Texas policy related to students with limited English proficiency describes policy changes that took place during this time. Demographic characteristics of middle school students once identified as limited English proficient (LEP) and their classmates who were not LEP were examined. Special language program participation patterns were examined from a longitudinal perspective. Participation in the assessment program and progress of students in the cohort toward passing the exit-level test required for graduation were also examined.
  • Policy Research Report No. 10. Academic Achievement of Elementary Students With Limited English Proficiency in Texas Public Schools (January 1998), PDF (517 KB)
    • This report presents a longitudinal overview of academic performance of limited English proficient (LEP) students entering first grade in Texas public schools in 1992-93. The report provides a demographic profile of Grade 1 students in 1992-93 and follows those students through the 1996-97 school year. Five-year patterns of student enrollment, campus mobility, participation in special programs, and grade-level promotion are examined. Also, Texas policy related to LEP students is reviewed.

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Prekindergarten and Elementary Education

  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 6B. A Longitudinal Study of Primary School Classrooms and Grade 3 Performance in Texas Public Schools (December 1999), PDF (141 KB)
    • Student performance in Grade 3 was evaluated based on instructional practices, classroom materials, and computer use in Grades 1 and 3. This longitudinal study of primary education in Texas was initiated in the 1995-96 school year, when data were collected from first-grade teachers. Teachers provided information not only on teaching practices and materials, but also on student preparedness and mastery of the curriculum in core subject areas. The survey was repeated, for the same students, with third-grade teachers in 1997-98, and supplemented with annual data available in the Public Education Information Management System and student performance data on a standardized, state-wide performance test.
  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 6A. Grade 3 Classrooms and Student Performance in Texas Public Schools (December 1999), PDF (256 KB)
    • This research was undertaken to more fully understand Grade 3 students and teachers in Texas, and to explore the relationships between student characteristics, teaching practices, and materials in Grade 3 classrooms and student performance in Grade 3. As a follow-up to the work that began during the 1995-96 school year with Grade 1, this study focuses on survey information provided by Grade 3 teachers from selected schools statewide during the 1997-98 school year. Survey data was received for 7,216 students from 93 campuses and 72 districts around the state. This report looks at characteristics of Texas third graders, such as gender, ethnicity, English proficiency, economic status, and performance on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS). Third-grade teachers are also profiled. In addition, the report presents teacher assessments of students' academic readiness, classroom behaviors, academic growth, and performance. Program services, instructional methods, and classroom practices are detailed, as well as teaching materials and computer use.
  • Policy Research Report No. 10. Academic Achievement of Elementary Students With Limited English Proficiency in Texas Public Schools (January 1998), PDF (517 KB)
    • This report presents a longitudinal overview of academic performance of limited English proficient (LEP) students entering first grade in Texas public schools in 1992-93. The report provides a demographic profile of Grade 1 students in 1992-93 and follows those students through the 1996-97 school year. Five-year patterns of student enrollment, campus mobility, participation in special programs, and grade-level promotion are examined. Also, Texas policy related to LEP students is reviewed.
  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 5. Systemwide Elementary Reform (SER): Grade 2 Interim Report (August 1997)
    • This report is a follow-up to STEPS Report No. 4, First Steps in School: An Examination of Grade 1 in Texas Public Schools (August 1997). This interim report focuses on context, input, and process factors (based on Public Education Information Management System [PEIMS] and survey data) that are most related to actual end-of-year status, in terms of Texas public school students' promotion to or placement in Grade 2, or retention in Grade 1.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 4A. First Steps in School: An Examination of Grade 1 in Texas Public Schools: Technical Report (August 1997)
    • This supplement to STEPS Report No. 4 provides more extended information about the project examining first grade that supplemented the on-going STEPS. The project was supported by Title VI federal funds.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 4. First Steps in School: An Examination of Grade 1 in Texas Public Schools: Summary Report (August 1997)
    • This report summarizes efforts completed to supplement the on-going STEPS by focusing on Grade 1. The findings describe: What first grade looks like in Texas public schools; how teachers describe students' readiness, behavior, and academic growth; and how student progress related to sets of context, input, and process variables. This project was supported with Title VI federal funds.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Texas Evaluation Study of Prekindergarten Programs: Final Report (July 1995)
    • This report describes the final status of classroom practice in prekindergarten programs in comparison to initial study findings, and findings from a self-study component implemented in 1993 with prekindergarten staffs participating in the study. It also reports on the progress of a group of students who participated in prekindergarten during the 1989-90 school year, in relationship to a comparison group of students who were eligible for prekindergarten but did not attend.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.

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Safe Schools

  • Policy Research Report No. 17. Disciplinary Alternative Education Program Practices (August 2007), PDF (162 KB)
    • Texas public school districts have been required to provide disciplinary alternative education programs (DAEPs) since the 1996-97 school year. DAEPs serve two main purposes: to provide temporary disciplinary settings for disruptive students and to meet the basic academic and behavioral needs of students assigned to the programs. This report presents an overview of program characteristics and practices described in selected research as "best practices" in disciplinary alternative education settings. In addition, the report provides a policy history of disciplinary alternative education, a summary of statutory requirements related to DAEPs, and statewide statistics on DAEP assignments.
  • Texas Independent School District Crime Report (April 1995)
    • Senate Resolution 879, 73rd Texas Legislature, directed the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) "to determine underreported areas of the state and conduct a random sampling of incidents of crime on public school campuses in those areas." The resolution further directed that the TEA and DPS collaborate on "develop[ing] a statewide uniform crime reporting system for use by school districts to uniformly report incident-based campus crime." This report summarizes results of that preliminary collaboration, and observes that much of campus-based crime occurs on a student-to-student basis. That is, students most often are both the victims and the perpetrators of campus-based crimes.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Policy Research Report No. 3. Safe Texas Schools: Policy Initiatives and Programs (April 1994), PDF (153 KB)
    • School safety and violence prevention in and around schools are serious concerns. Yet, defining the scope of the problem and the extent to which effective programs are available to respond to the problem has been difficult for a number of reasons.

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School and Class Size

  • Policy Research Report No. 12. School Size and Class Size in Texas Public Schools (January 1999), PDF (290 KB)
    • This research report focuses on current national school size and class size research, Texas school size trends, and the relationship between school size in Texas and student achievement. The overview of national research includes the effects of school size on school involvement and participation; student achievement; attendance, dropout, and graduation rates; economies of scale; and the curriculum.

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Special Education

  • Transition Outcomes and Issues for Students Receiving Special Education Services: Technical Report (September 1994)
    • This technical report summarizes findings to date from all four components (longitudinal, two-cohort transition, retrospective, and family-community case study) of the Special Education Effectiveness Studies. Spanning the 1990-91 through 1993-94 school years, the components assess experiences of students with disabilities in each of the following functional life skill areas: employment; independent living; recreational, social, and leisure skill acquisition; and post-secondary education.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Transition Outcomes and Issues for Students Receiving Special Education Services: Summary (September 1994)
    • This report summarizes findings to date from all four components (longitudinal, two-cohort transition, retrospective, and family-community case study) of the Special Education Effectiveness Studies. Spanning the 1990-91 through 1993-94 school years, the components assess experiences of students with disabilities in each of the following functional life skill areas: employment; independent living; recreational, social, and leisure skill acquisition; and post-secondary education.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Case Studies of Family and Community Experiences in Transition from School to Post-School Life for Students Receiving Special Education Services (January 1994)
    • The case studies of family and community experiences in transition from school to post-school life for students receiving special education services was conducted in April-May 1992. Six school districts volunteered to participate in the study, which featured 27 students. The districts varied in their geographic location, urban-suburban-rural characteristics, size, and composition of the student population enrolled in special education. The students included in the study varied in their ethnic background, age, disability, and level of disability.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.

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Student Mobility

  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 3A. A Study of Student Mobility in Texas Public Schools: Supplemental Data Report (March 1997)
    • This supplement to STEPS Report No. 3 (March 1997) provides data on student mobility rates at the county, district, and campus levels.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 3. A Study of Student Mobility in Texas Public Schools (March 1997)
    • The purposes of this study were to examine the magnitude of student mobility in Texas public schools by reporting how many students are moving, when and where they are moving, and who is moving; and to clarify the relationships between mobility and academic performance at the individual student, campus, and district levels.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.

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Students At Risk

  • Study of the Impact of Educational Reform on Students At Risk in Texas: Final Report (March 1994)
    • This report presents findings from a five-year study of the impact of educational reform on students who are in situations that put them at risk of school failure or dropping out. The study consisted of three components: (1) a statewide survey of high school principals, (2) a longitudinal component that tracked 1,800 at-risk high school students for four years, and (3) case studies of eight high schools.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.

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Teachers and Teacher Education

  • Texas Teacher Preparation Study: Final Report: The Preparation and 'Staying Power' of New Texas Teachers (January 1996)
    • This report presents full results of a two-year investigation of the relative effectiveness of the main types of teacher preparation in Texas that addressed three broad goals: to determine who is entering the teacher workforce and where they are teaching; to examine novice teachers' experiences in the classroom with regard to their types of preparation; and, to analyze the relative retention over time of these teachers in the workforce.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Texas Teacher Preparation Study: Final Summary Report: The Preparation and 'Staying Power' of New Texas Teachers (December 1995)
    • This report summarizes results of a two-year investigation of the relative effectiveness of the main types of teacher preparation in Texas that addressed three broad goals: to determine who is entering the teacher workforce and where they are teaching; to examine novice teachers' experiences in the classroom with regard to their types of preparation; and, to analyze the relative retention over time of these teachers in the workforce.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Policy Research Report No. 6. Texas Teacher Retention, Mobility, and Attrition (May 1995), PDF (290 KB)
    • This report focuses on issues related to teacher supply including teacher retention, mobility, and attrition. The characteristics of teachers who stay in the teaching profession and those who leave are examined by gender, age, ethnicity, years of teaching experience, salary, degree held, subject area taught, and teacher test scores. School conditions of teachers who stay, move, and leave are also examined, including school level, school size, diversity, and community type.
  • Texas Teacher Preparation Study: 1993-94 Interim Report: How Well Prepared to Teach Are New Teachers Entering Texas Classrooms? (March 1995)
    • Ever since the alarm generated by such reports as A Nation at Risk (1983) and A Nation Prepared: Teachers for the 21st Century (1986), the public education system has been under scrutiny for its shortcomings and for ways to improve the system and its results. In particular, A Nation Prepared voiced great concern over the academic caliber of individuals entering the teaching profession and over how (and how well) these individuals have been prepared for their jobs. This report, on the first year of a two-year research effort, describes multiple methods used to examine questions such as these: Who is entering the Texas teaching workforce and where are they teaching? What are the experiences of these teachers in the classroom? What is the relative retention of these teachers in the workforce?
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Policy Research Report No. 4. Texas Teacher Diversity and Recruitment (May 1994), PDF (462 KB)
    • Teacher demand is the number of teachers school districts are able to fund and willing to employ at a given time. Traditional models of teacher supply and demand are based primarily on trends in student/teacher ratios and projections of student enrollment. This report focuses on one facet of teacher quality in the supply and demand interchange--teacher diversity.
  • Policy Research Report No. 2. Working Conditions of Texas Teachers (July 1993), PDF (561 KB)
    • This presentation is the first of a series of research papers in the area of teacher supply, demand, quality, and policy that will provide a cross-sectional analysis of the current teaching force. Teacher supply is defined as the total number of eligible individuals available from all sources who are willing to supply their services to teaching under prevailing conditions. These conditions include salaries, benefits, the teaching workplace, the work day, the work load, and the work atmosphere.
  • Policy Research Report No. 1. Professional Educator Preparation Policy Development in Texas (January 1993), PDF (411 KB)
    • The Texas system for approving professional educator preparation programs and certifying teachers targets procedural components of the programs. Performance of graduates may influence an institution's reputation, but the current program approval process does not hold the institution of higher education accountable for the performance of graduates. Data on Texas teachers underscore the need for teacher education programs to prepare increasing numbers of teachers, and for those teachers to be better prepared with strong subject content knowledge and skills to address the diverse student needs they will encounter in the classroom.

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Legislative Reports

The Comprehensive Report on Texas Public Schools describes the status of public education in Texas. The report provides information on a wide range of topics including: academic excellence indicators; state assessments; graduation and dropouts; grade-level retention; accountability ratings; curriculum; and charter schools.

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Policy Research Reports

  • Policy Research Report No. 17. Disciplinary Alternative Education Program Practices (August 2007), PDF (162 KB)
    • Texas public school districts have been required to provide disciplinary alternative education programs (DAEPs) since the 1996-97 school year. DAEPs serve two main purposes: to provide temporary disciplinary settings for disruptive students and to meet the basic academic and behavioral needs of students assigned to the programs. This report presents an overview of program characteristics and practices described in selected research as "best practices" in disciplinary alternative education settings. In addition, the report provides a policy history of disciplinary alternative education, a summary of statutory requirements related to DAEPs, and statewide statistics on DAEP assignments.
  • Policy Research Report No. 16. Texas Assessment of Academic Skills and College Entrance Examination Performance Trends in Texas (December 2003), PDF (241 KB)
    • Two key measures of high school performance in Texas public schools are performance on the exit-level Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) and performance on the SAT I and ACT. Between 1994 and 2002, TAAS scores increased substantially, whereas SAT I and ACT scores remained essentially stable. This report reviews differences between the TAAS and the SAT I and ACT examinations that contributed to differences in performance trends, namely (1) purpose and type of test; (2) examinee population; and (3) academic proficiency level assessed. Because of these differences, the assessments are valuable, but distinct, measures of high school performance.
  • Policy Research Report No. 15. Program Participation and Academic Progress of Second Language Learners: Texas Middle School Update (May 2002), PDF (1.2 MB)
    • This report has been prepared as an update to Policy Research Report No. 10, Academic Achievement of Elementary Students With Limited English Proficiency in Texas Public Schools (1998). The purpose of this study is to examine program participation and academic progress of second language learners over time. The study followed a cohort of Texas public school students from 1992-93 to 1999-00 as they progressed through the elementary and middle grades. An overview of Texas policy related to students with limited English proficiency describes policy changes that took place during this time. Demographic characteristics of middle school students once identified as limited English proficient (LEP) and their classmates who were not LEP were examined. Special language program participation patterns were examined from a longitudinal perspective. Participation in the assessment program and progress of students in the cohort toward passing the exit-level test required for graduation were also examined. The data suggest that many factors influence the patterns of special language services student receive and the number of years they receive those services.
  • Policy Research Report No. 14. Enrollment Trends in Texas Public Schools: Update 1999-00 (August 2001), PDF (1.2 MB)
    • This report has been prepared as an update to Policy Research Report No. 11, Enrollment Trends in Texas Public Schools (July 1998). It provides an overview of Texas enrollment trends, growth of special instructional programs, and the diversity of the student population by grade, district type, and education service center region. Enrollment in Texas public schools in 1999-00 is compared to enrollment in 1987-88, and changes are discussed. National and Texas enrollment trends are also compared.
  • Policy Research Report No. 13. Block Scheduling in Texas Public High Schools (September 1999), PDF (246 KB)
    • The study presented in this report examines the relationships between different types of schedules and overall student performance in Texas public high schools. Overall performance was measured in terms of dropout rates, grade-level retention rates, campus-level results for the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS), and participation and performance on college admissions tests (SAT and ACT) and Advanced Placement (AP) examinations.
  • Policy Research Report No. 12. School Size and Class Size in Texas Public Schools (January 1999), PDF (290 KB)
    • This research report focuses on current national school size and class size research, Texas school size trends, and the relationship between school size in Texas and student achievement. The overview of national research includes the effects of school size on school involvement and participation; student achievement; attendance, dropout, and graduation rates; economies of scale; and the curriculum.
  • Policy Research Report No. 11. Enrollment Trends in Texas Public Schools (July 1998), PDF (406 KB)
    • This report provides an overview of Texas enrollment trends and growth of special instructional programs, and redistribution of the student population geographically and by community type. National enrollment trends are also presented.
  • Policy Research Report No. 10. Academic Achievement of Elementary Students With Limited English Proficiency in Texas Public Schools (January 1998), PDF (517 KB)
    • This report presents a longitudinal overview of academic performance of limited English proficient (LEP) students entering first grade in Texas public schools in 1992-93. The report provides a demographic profile of Grade 1 students in 1992-93 and follows those students through the 1996-97 school year. Five-year patterns of student enrollment, campus mobility, participation in special programs, and grade-level promotion are also examined. Also, Texas policy related to LEP students is reviewed.
  • Policy Research Report No. 9. Expanding the Scope of the Texas Public School Accountability System (June 1997), PDF (250 KB)
    • This report describes the evolution of the statewide assessment program and development of the accountability rating system for Texas public schools and school districts. Since the report was prepared during the state legislative session, it concludes with an update of changes in state statute related to student assessment and school accountability.
  • Policy Research Report No. 8. High School Completion Rates: Investigating a Longitudinal Performance Measure for Texas Schools (October 1996), PDF (80 KB)
    • This report investigates issues surrounding the use of a longitudinal performance measure in the Texas integrated accountability system. A detailed discussion of a high school completion rate is presented, along with an overview of other school performance measures.
  • Policy Research Report No. 7. Reporting Texas Advanced Placement Examination Performance: Promoting a Head Start on the Transition to College (December 1995), PDF (240 KB)
    • Advanced Placement (AP) participation and examination performance data are important in understanding the extent to which Texas students have completed courses that may qualify them for a "head start"--advanced standing, course credit, or both standing and credit--upon beginning college or university course work. A brief history and overview of the College Board AP program is presented in this report, along with a general description of AP courses and examinations, AP benefits and costs, Texas high school graduation requirements with AP components, and college and university AP policies.
  • Policy Research Report No. 6. Texas Teacher Retention, Mobility, and Attrition (May 1995), PDF (290 KB)
    • This report focuses on issues related to teacher supply including teacher retention, mobility, and attrition. The characteristics of teachers who stay in the teaching profession and those who leave are examined by gender, age, ethnicity, years of teaching experience, salary, degree held, subject area taught, and teacher test scores. School conditions of teachers who stay, move, and leave are also examined, including school level, school size, diversity, and community type.
  • Policy Research Report No. 5. Counselors in Texas Public Schools (August 1994), PDF (265 KB)
    • This report introduces a two-year study of counseling and guidance programs in Texas public schools and provides a cross-section of information currently available about Texas counselors. The report provides a summary of demographic and employment data about Texas school counselors. National and state models of guidance programs are presented along with an overview of issues related to those models.
  • Policy Research Report No. 4. Texas Teacher Diversity and Recruitment (May 1994), PDF (462 KB)
    • Teacher demand is the number of teachers school districts are able to fund and willing to employ at a given time. Traditional models of teacher supply and demand are based primarily on trends in student/teacher ratios and projections of student enrollment. This report focuses on one facet of teacher quality in the supply and demand interchange--teacher diversity.
  • Policy Research Report No. 3. Safe Texas Schools: Policy Initiatives and Programs (April 1994), PDF (153 KB)
    • School safety and violence prevention in and around schools are serious concerns. Yet, defining the scope of the problem and the extent to which effective programs are available to respond to the problem has been difficult for a number of reasons.
  • Policy Research Report No. 2. Working Conditions of Texas Teachers (July 1993), PDF (561 KB)
    • This presentation is the first of a series of research papers in the area of teacher supply, demand, quality, and policy that will provide a cross-sectional analysis of the current teaching force. Teacher supply is defined as the total number of eligible individuals available from all sources who are willing to supply their services to teaching under prevailing conditions. These conditions include salaries, benefits, the teaching workplace, the work day, the work load, and the work atmosphere.
  • Policy Research Report No. 1. Professional Educator Preparation Policy Development in Texas (January 1993), PDF (411 KB)
    • The Texas system for approving professional educator preparation programs and certifying teachers targets procedural components of the programs. Performance of graduates may influence an institution's reputation, but the current program approval process does not hold the institution of higher education accountable for the performance of graduates. Data on Texas teachers underscore the need for teacher education programs to prepare increasing numbers of teachers, and for those teachers to be better prepared with strong subject content knowledge and skills to address the diverse student needs they will encounter in the classroom.

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Presentations

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Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study

  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 6B. A Longitudinal Study of Primary School Classrooms and Grade 3 Performance in Texas Public Schools (December 1999), PDF (141 KB)
    • Student performance in Grade 3 was evaluated based on instructional practices, classroom materials, and computer use in Grades 1 and 3. This longitudinal study of primary education in Texas was initiated in the 1995-96 school year, when data were collected from first-grade teachers. Teachers provided information not only on teaching practices and materials, but also on student preparedness and mastery of the curriculum in core subject areas. The survey was repeated, for the same students, with third-grade teachers in 1997-98, and supplemented with annual data available in the Public Education Information Management System and student performance data on a standardized, state-wide performance test.
  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 6A. Grade 3 Classrooms and Student Performance in Texas Public Schools (December 1999), PDF (256 KB)
    • This research was undertaken to more fully understand Grade 3 students and teachers in Texas, and to explore the relationships between student characteristics, teaching practices, and materials in Grade 3 classrooms and student performance in Grade 3. As a follow-up to the work that began during the 1995-96 school year with Grade 1, this study focuses on survey information provided by Grade 3 teachers from selected schools statewide during the 1997-98 school year. Survey data was received for 7,216 students from 93 campuses and 72 districts around the state. This report looks at characteristics of Texas third graders, such as gender, ethnicity, English proficiency, economic status, and performance on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS). Third-grade teachers are also profiled. In addition, the report presents teacher assessments of students' academic readiness, classroom behaviors, academic growth, and performance. Program services, instructional methods, and classroom practices are detailed, as well as teaching materials and computer use.
  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 5. Systemwide Elementary Reform (SER): Grade 2 Interim Report (August 1997)
    • This report is a follow-up to STEPS Report No. 4, First Steps in School: An Examination of Grade 1 in Texas Public Schools (August 1997). This interim report focuses on context, input, and process factors (based on Public Education Information Management System [PEIMS] and survey data) that are most related to actual end-of-year status, in terms of Texas public school students' promotion to or placement in Grade 2, or retention in Grade 1.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 4A. First Steps in School: An Examination of Grade 1 in Texas Public Schools: Technical Report (August 1997)
    • This technical report provides more extended information about the project examining first grade that supplemented the on-going STEPS. The project was supported by Title VI federal funds.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 4. First Steps in School: An Examination of Grade 1 in Texas Public Schools: Summary Report (August 1997)
    • This report summarizes efforts completed to supplement the on-going STEPS by focusing on Grade 1. The findings describe: What first grade looks like in Texas public schools; how teachers describe students' readiness, behavior, and academic growth; and how student progress related to sets of context, input, and process variables. This project was supported with Title VI federal funds.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 3A. A Study of Student Mobility in Texas Public Schools: Supplemental Data Report (March 1997)
    • This supplement to STEPS Report No. 3 (March 1997) provides data on student mobility rates at the county, district, and campus levels.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 3. A Study of Student Mobility in Texas Public Schools (March 1997)
    • The purposes of this study were to examine the magnitude of student mobility in Texas public schools by reporting how many students are moving, when and where they are moving, and who is moving; and to clarify the relationships between mobility and academic performance at the individual student, campus, and district levels.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 2. Case Studies of Successful Campuses: Responses to a High-Stakes State Accountability System (May 1996)
    • The Texas public school accountability system, established by statute in 1993, focuses attention on performance expectations for campuses and districts measured by standardized test scores, dropout rates, and attendance rates. For the first time, the state accountability system clearly states what schools are expected to achieve in measurable terms, and projects increasingly higher standards through the year 2000. This report presents case studies of three schools and their response to implementation of the accountability system, emphasizing the features associated with effective school-wide improvement in each case.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.
  • Statewide Texas Educational Progress Study (STEPS) Report No. 1. The Development of Accountability Systems Nationwide and in Texas (April 1996)
    • This is the first in a series of reports on the educational progress of Texas public schools. It reviews the history of concerns that led to the current emphasis, nationally and in Texas, on campus- and district-level accountability. Research on the use of campus- and district-level accountability systems is presented, and the development of the integrated accountability system now used in Texas is described.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.

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Technical Documentation

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Working Papers

  • Working Paper No. 7. Profiles of Starting Cohort Members and Transfer Students in a Texas Public High School Cohort (January 2002), PDF (240 KB)
    • The quantitative measure for each indicator in the Texas accountability system is a product of extensive development by Texas Education Agency staff, guided by educators, legislators, and business leaders, and grounded in the accountability system principles. One principle is accountability for all students, but because the indicators differ, the counts and groups of students included in the measures differ somewhat. For example, the indicators related to passing the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) include all students enrolled on the last Friday in October, whereas the annual dropout rates are based on all students in attendance during the year. In the course of developing the longitudinal student status rates as measures of the high school completion rate indicator, agency staff analyzed the counts and characteristics of students included in the measures. In this paper, comparisons of starting cohort members and transfer students are reported.
  • Working Paper No. 6. Three-Year Follow-up of a Texas Public High School Cohort (January 2002), PDF (290 KB)
    • Since 2000, the Texas Education Agency has reported three groups of students-graduates, General Educational Development (GED) certificate recipients, and continuing students-in the longitudinal completion/student status rate for the district and state Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) reports. Beginning in 2004, a longitudinal completion rate will be an indicator used to rate Texas public school and district performance. This report is intended to provide information about students who are still continuing high school after their expected graduation year and to inform the decision whether to include this student group in the definition of "high school completion" for Texas public school accountability purposes.
  • Working Paper No. 2. 1997-98 and 1998-99 Returning and Non-Returning Students in Grades 7-12 (June 2000)
    • Prior to the 1997-98 school year, districts were required to report which students in Grades 7-12 had graduated, dropped out, or returned to school. Beginning with the Public Education Management System (PEIMS) Submission 1 in fall 1998, districts were required to report on all students enrolled in the district at any time during the previous school year in Grades 7-12. This report details the returning statuses of students for school years 1997-98 to 1998-99.
    • This report is not available in PDF. For additional information please e-mail the Division of Research and Analysis.

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This page last updated December 12, 2024.

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Contact Information

Division of Research and Analysis
512-475-3523
research@tea.texas.gov