After careful consideration, the Argyle ISD Board of Trustees voted during a Special Meeting on Sept. 27, 2023, to adopt a resolution authorizing the district to join the lawsuit against TEA, challenging the proposed calculation of school district Accountability Ratings and authorizing the Superintendent to take all steps necessary to implement the resolution.

TEA Commissioner Mike Morath intended to release the 2022-2023 school year ratings on Sept. 28, 2023, retroactively changing accountability standards in the accountability system that would lower the rating of thousands of schools. TEA has announced that the release of ratings will be pushed back to October.

“Argyle ISD joining the TEA A-F Accountability litigation was important to our district administration and the Board of Trustees,” Board President Sam Slaton said. “We strongly feel that Commissioner Morath needs to uphold the accountability rating system that our State Legislature established and charged the TEA to enact. Argyle ISD, along with dozens of other Texas school districts, believe it is a disservice to our educators and students for the Commissioner to make attempts to retroactively change our accountability standards thus arbitrarily lowering district ratings. Argyle ISD is proud of its standard for academic excellence, give us a goal, and together we will soar to achieve it. For Commissioner Morath to change the goal after the fact is something that we stand united against.”

Argyle ISD joins the lawsuit with several Texas school districts seeking an injunction to prevent the Commissioner from issuing new ratings using the retroactively applied, yet-to-be-finalized measures, methods, and procedures in determining accountability ratings for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years. 

The A-F Accountability System is a statewide rating system established by the Texas Legislature and enacted by TEA to evaluate the academic performance of Texas public schools. It assigns letter grades A-F to school districts and campuses.

“We expect to understand the measures and methods by which we are held accountable in order to make thoughtful and intentional educational decisions for our students,” Argyle ISD Superintendent Dr. Courtney Carpenter said. “Our teachers and students have worked incredibly hard to overcome any learning loss experienced by the pandemic, and they have held steadfast to providing solid interventions for our students. Our students and teachers have made progress and shown growth each year, and we should not be retroactively graded on prior results. We believe this is the right thing to do for all Eagles!” 

TEA did not provide AISD with information, as required by education code law, regarding the changes to the A-F system before the start of the 2022-2023 school year, and has yet to provide a full explanation of the rules and methodologies used to determine district and campus ratings.