April 22, 2025, Lancaster ISD/Lancaster,TX--The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is preparing to release the 2023 academic accountability ratings after a two-year delay. As we have previously communicated, significant and ongoing changes to the TEA’s accountability system continue to present challenges for school districts across the state, including Lancaster ISD. Despite these challenges, we remain committed to keeping our stakeholders informed with clear and transparent updates.
TEA Accountability Ratings Delay
For the past two years, school districts have operated without official accountability ratings from TEA due to a statewide lawsuit that delayed their release. On Thursday, April 24, 2025, Texas’ 15th Court of Appeals authorized TEA to move forward with releasing the 2023 ratings. Lancaster ISD last received a “B” rating in 2022. Since then, TEA has revised how academic performance is calculated and how campuses and districts are scored. These changes have created a new level of uncertainty and concern, particularly because they were introduced mid-year, leaving little time for educators to adjust instruction or provide targeted support.
Projected District Accountability Score
With the pending release of the 2023 accountability ratings, we want to provide you with our updated projected score based on the most recent information available. Using information from the Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) and TEA’s updated scoring method, our accountability team projects that even with student performance and progress growth, Lancaster ISD will receive a “D” rating under the newly revised rating system. Final ratings will be determined by TEA and are expected to be released this week. District-level and campus ratings will be publicly available and accessible on TXSchools.gov.
District Highlights
A single letter grade, especially one calculated under a new and controversial system, does not fully reflect the commitment of our teachers, the efforts of our students, or the progress our schools are making. While the projected rating does not tell the full story of our academic progress, we will not allow it to define who we are as a district or distract us from the great work happening in our classrooms each day. Based on our preliminary assessment data, Lancaster ISD has seen the following academic gains between 2023 and 2024:
District Performance
Third through eighth grade reading improved by two points from 2023 to 2024 as measured by meets performance.
English II scores improved by two points from 2023 to 2024 as measured by meets performance.
Biology scores improved by four points from 2023 to 2024 as measured by meets performance.
U.S. History scores improved by one point from 2023 to 2024 as measured by meets performance.
Lancaster ISD will successfully graduate 100% percent of its seniors for the fourth consecutive year.
Lancaster High School improved its College, Career, and Military Readiness score from 79% in 2023 to 82% in 2024, reflecting continued progress in preparing students for life after graduation.
Ongoing Advocacy and Accountability
As a reminder, Lancaster ISD joined with 119 other school districts across Texas in challenging the fairness and transparency of the revised accountability framework. Although TEA is now moving forward with the release of the ratings despite these concerns, our commitment to continuous improvement, academic excellence, and student success has not changed and will not change regardless of the state’s rating.
Looking Ahead
As we await official results, we want to reiterate that in 2023 we began working on strategic plans to improve in all identified areas and to ensure continued progress for every student. We ask for your continued support and partnership as we move forward. We also encourage you to remain engaged and advocate alongside us for a system that truly reflects the quality of education our students deserve.
Thank you for being a valued part of the Lancaster ISD community. We will continue to keep you informed as more information becomes available.