Accountability System Development

Overview

The purpose of the state accountability system is to continuously improve student performance, eliminate achievement gaps between student groups, and ensure Texas is a national leader in preparing students for postsecondary success.

To ensure the state accountability system addresses these goals, the system design focuses on four commitments:

• School performance is evaluated through multiple valid measures
• Ratings reflect the better of achievement or progress
• Ratings are based on defined criteria, not a fixed distribution
• The system design remains static in most years

While the system design remains mostly unchanged, except as required by a change in statute or availability of data, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) engages in a continuous improvement process to gather feedback from stakeholders, individually and through advisory groups, and review data to ensure the accountability system balances rigor for students, fairness for schools, and transparency for the public. Approximately every five years, the A-F accountability system is refreshed using the ideas and data gathered during the interim years. The last accountability refresh occurred in 2023, and the next refresh is scheduled for 2028. Information gathered throughout the 2024 - 2027 interim continuous review process and in preparation for the 2028 refresh will be provided on this page. 

Please note: No significant changes to cut points, domain or indicator methodology, and/or the overall rating system are planned for the interim accountability years (2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027) except as required by changes to statute or data availability. 

2024 Accountability System 
2024 Accountability Development Materials

2025 Accountability System

2026 Accountability System (2026 Preliminary Manual public review process expected to begin by May 2025)

2027 Accountability System (2027 Preliminary Manual public review process expected to begin by May 2026)

2028 Accountability Refresh Development Process Begins

Consistent with the Texas Education Agency's commitment to solicit stakeholder feedback throughout our work, the Performance Reporting division has launched a survey (link below) to gather public input to guide development of the refreshed accountability system for the 2027-28 school year. This survey will remain open through spring 2026 to assist with the publication of the Preliminary 2028 Accountability Manual in summer 2026.  

Survey link: 2028 A-F Refresh Public Feedback

Additional opportunities to provide input on the 2028 Accountability Refresh will be available as the proposal moves through each stage of the process. The final adopted 2028 Accountability Manual is planned for release in fall 2026 allowing districts the entire 2026-27 school year to prepare for implementation of the refreshed A-F Accountability System beginning in the 2027-28 school year. 

Texas Accountability Advisory Group (TAAG)

TAAG is comprised of representatives from school districts, legislative offices, and the business community, to identify issues critical to the accountability system and make recommendations/provide feedback on major policy issues. The committee's recommendations/feedback are sent to the commissioner of education who makes the final decisions on the accountability system. For more information about TAAG please refer to the most recent charter, TAAG Charter 2024-25, or the current TAAG Members List.

2024-25 TAAG Meetings

TEA shares TAAG materials to increase transparency and the availability of public information regarding the development of the accountability system. TAAG is focused on providing feedback on proposals related to the A-F accountability system.  Additionally, TAAG proposals may be used to surface new ideas and get feedback from committee members and other stakeholders. 

December 2024 - Meeting of TAAG

• December 2024 TAAG Meeting Presentation
• December 2024 TAAG Meeting Minutes

RDA / A-F Accountability Integration Taskforce

The RDA / A-F Accountability Integration Taskforce is comprised of representatives from local education agencies (LEAs) and regional education service centers (ESCs) for the purpose of reviewing and refining agency proposals to incorporate RDA within the district-level accountability system while ensuring current federal requirements for RDA are maintained.

The RDA / A-F Taskforce prepares recommendations for the Texas Accountability Advisory Group (TAAG) for consideration in the 2028 refreshed A-F Accountability System. For more information, please see materials below.

RDA Integration Task Force Charter
RDA / A-F Taskforce Membership List