August 15, 2022
AHISD Parents and Community,
Last Friday, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) assigned A-F letter grades to every district and campus across Texas. The letter grades assigned to districts and campuses are primarily based on how students in grades 3-11 perform on a standardized test: the STAAR exams in the spring. In Alamo Heights ISD, we have long cautioned against an over reliance on high stakes testing because it is a system based on a single test administration on one day of a student’s performance in time, and it is not designed to measure a variety of important things valued by our community. The rich learning experiences that your children experience in Alamo Heights schools cannot be reduced to a single score on a single day. In AHISD, we use multiple measures to evaluate the effectiveness of our academic programs and the progress of our students. And, over the past four years, with input of school staff, leaders, students, and community members, we have designed a comprehensive local Community Based Accountability System (CBAS) to anchor our continuous improvement efforts.
Having said that, we are proud that once again, Alamo Heights ISD was rated an A district. All campuses received an A for Student Achievement, and we received Academic Distinctions for English Language Arts/Reading, Social Studies, and Academic Growth. This year’s STAAR assessment results show progress in multiple areas that declined in 2021 due to interruptions caused by COVID-19. As the percentage of students meeting expectations is moving closer to pre-pandemic levels in math, and surpasses pre-pandemic levels in reading, we acknowledge a welcome sign that AHISD students are moving in the right direction in their post-pandemic academic recovery. Because of the resilience of our students, the incredible dedication of our faculty, and the support from our community, AHISD scores continue to surpass regional and statewide comparison scores.
AHISD is a school system that places a priority on high standards of academic achievement for all students, and to that end, we embrace accountability because it is the catalyst for action for the outcomes we desire for each one of our students.
In AHISD, accountability is essential as we measure:
- Student academic achievement and growth
- Student progress in the learner outcomes of our AHISD Profile of a Learner
- Student college and career readiness
- Recruitment, development, and retention of high-performing faculty and staff
- Supports and opportunities for students to be well-rounded and engaged
- Community engagement in our schools
- Fiscal responsibility and facility needs
Our local Community Based Accountability System (CBAS) relies on multiple data sources, authentic assessment opportunities, observations, and feedback from stakeholders that identifies the accountability that our community deserves. The A-F accountability system provides us with one piece of data to include in that system. I continue to be so grateful for the focused efforts of our teachers and staff who have worked tirelessly these past years to ensure student progress and academic achievement, and I congratulate them on their efforts to maintain our A rating.
You can always find a draft copy of our local CBAS report located on our website at www.ahisd.net under the “About AHISD” tab.
Sincerely,
Dr. Dana Bashara
Superintendent