Email, Lauren Callahan, information specialist, Texas Education Agency, Jan. 23, 2018

3:02 p.m.

Some answers for you below. Let me know if you need anything else.

Thanks,

Lauren

From: Selby, Gardner (CMG-Austin)

Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2018 2:13 PM

Subject: Queries for a fact-check

Good afternoon. I write because we’re checking a claim that Texas among the states ranks 43rd for its public schools.

The claim traces to the 2016 Quality Counts analysis issued by Education Week. At the time, Houston Public Media quoted the TEA saying that “it’s difficult to effectively evaluate the state’s performance from a national report where no state made the highest grade, no state made the lowest grade and the majority of states were all lumped into the same grade category.”

Our own look at the Quality Counts rankings indicates Texas landed 41st in 2016 (after a correction) and 40th each of the next two years.

Can you pass along the education agency’s full original 2016 comment and tell us who made the comment and her or his title?

The full statement read: “It’s difficult to effectively evaluate the state’s performance from a national report where no state made the highest grade, no state made the lowest grade and the bulk of states (63 percent) were all lumped into the same grade category.”

This was a general statement that all of our media representatives would have been authorized to send to reporters.

What does the agency currently think of the Quality Count state-by-state rankings?

As a policy, the agency does not comment on this or other such rankings since each utilizes a different methodology in determining a final grade.

What other national state-by-state rankings are worth considering, in the agency’s analysis, in ranking the state’s public schools?

See above. As a policy, the agency does not comment on this or other such rankings since each utilizes a different methodology in determining a final grade. However, the Legislature has charged Commissioner Morath and TEA with developing an A-F academic accountability system for districts and campuses that will allow parents greater information on the performance of their child’s school and school system. Specifics of that system will be in place later this year using all factors (including STAAR scores, graduation rates, etc.) that legislators and school administrators say should be reflected in an overall performance.