The Simple (But Not Easy) Path to Better Accountability Scores

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In our last post, we explored how Texas accountability ratings are calculated. Now that you understand the system, the natural question is: how can your campus or district improve its grade?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Each school has its own needs, challenges, and opportunities. Still, there is a guiding path that applies everywhere. It is simple to understand, but not always easy to carry out.

Here’s how to get started:

Step 1: Select Your Strongest Path

The Texas accountability system is strengths-based, which means schools are rated on their best-performing domain. This gives campuses flexibility in finding the right path to an “A.”

• Domain 1: Student Achievement often benefits wealthier districts.
• Domain 2: School Progress is a key lever for many lower-income campuses, measured through Academic Growth or Relative Performance.
• Domain 3: Closing the Gaps evaluates equity across student groups.

Each campus can identify the domain where it has the clearest opportunity for improvement and focus resources there.

Step 2: Ensure Growth for Every Student

A simple rule of thumb is this: every student should make at least one year of academic progress.

The accountability system rewards growth at every level. Even if students do not move to a higher performance level, maintaining within a level still earns points. Students who move up multiple levels earn even more.

To make this growth possible, instruction must align with how STAAR actually measures the TEKS. Math requires word problem solving, RLA requires evaluating multiple viable answers, and science and social studies emphasize stimulus-based analysis. When instruction mirrors these demands, students are better prepared to show measurable progress.

Step 3: Target Meets and Masters

Improving accountability scores depends on moving more students to Meets Grade Level, which is essential for Domain 3. From there, pushing students further to Masters earns distinctions and highlights subject-area excellence.

Not all TEKS carry equal weight, so focusing on Readiness TEKS is critical. They represent only 30 percent of the standards but account for 60 to 65 percent of test points.

Regular, authentic STAAR practice also builds fluency. Students who engage consistently with STAAR 2.0 item types and online tools spend less cognitive capacity navigating the test format and more on the higher-level thinking required for Meets and Masters.

Get SET for Success

Improving accountability scores is simple in theory, but not always easy in practice. Schools face complex data, limited time, and competing priorities. That is why it helps to keep the pathway clear: SET your campus up for success.

S – Select Your Strongest Path by choosing the domain where your campus has the clearest opportunity.

E – Ensure Growth for Every Student by aligning instruction with STAAR expectations and supporting all learners in making measurable progress.

T – Target Meets and Masters by focusing on Readiness TEKS and building student fluency through regular STAAR practice.

When schools Select, Ensure, and Target, they create a clear and strengths-based approach to accountability. The “what” is straightforward, but the “how” requires the right support.

Sirius Education Solutions helps schools by delivering authentic STAAR 2.0 practice, providing data-rich reports that highlight learning gaps, and offering resources across all STAAR-tested courses. With this support, campuses can make the “not easy” part more manageable—and more effective.

Conclusion

Texas accountability ratings give schools multiple pathways to success. The guiding principle is simple: get SET for success. Select your strongest path, ensure growth for every student, and target Meets and Masters. With alignment, consistent practice, and the right support, campuses can steadily move forward.

Sirius Education Solutions can provide the tools to help you make that progress possible. From authentic STAAR practice that mirrors the test experience to data-rich reports that highlight gaps and resources across every STAAR-tested course, Sirius can equip your team with what it needs to turn strategy into results.

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