Click here for TAKS Scores for 2006-2007

Despite exceeding the state average in passing and commended TAKS scores in 26 of 27 categories, Salado I.S.D. dropped from a Texas Education Agency rating of ‘recognized’ for the 2005-06 school year to an acceptable rating for 2006-07. In 24 of 27 categories, 90 percent or more of the total students passed the TAKS, yet due to higher standards and scores in subpopulations, the District’s rating fell to an acceptable level.
Both Thomas Arnold Elementary and Salado High School were rated as Academically Acceptable as campuses. Salado Intermediate School was rated as Recognized. TAKS test scores can be found on Page 8A.
Out of 1,222 Texas school districts, including 70 charter schools (several of these have multiple campuses), 27 districts or two percent were exemplary. Eight charter schools were exemplary and 19 public schools were exemplary. Carroll and Highland Park ISD’s were the only two large districts achieving an exemplary rating. Of the 17 smaller districts receiving an exemplary rating, 8 of the districts had only one campus.
Furthermore, across the state 214 districts, approximately 18 percent, were recognized with 27 of these being charter schools. Of the 187 public schools, 58 were districts with one campus. Eight of the public schools were large.
Robert Scott, acting TEA Commissioner, stated that a five percent point increase in TAKS passing standards was the main reason many schools saw ratings slip. The largest change this year was the number of schools and districts dropping from recognized to acceptable. About half of the districts in Texas were affected. In 2005, the last time standards increased, the number of schools rated unacceptable doubled. Salado was rated academically acceptable in 2005 and then rose to recognized in 2006. Scott says, “The system was designed…to gradually drive student performance up. As we raise standards, we’re hopeful that school districts will rise to the challenge.” “Our goal is to set a challenging standard that schools can meet if they work hard, but not to set it where it demoralizes schools.”
Ratings for some schools could have been worse. For this year only, TEA agreed not to lower a school’s rating based upon the stricter method of calculating the dropout and completion rates.
A district can be rated on as many as 36 factors, including 1) the percent of students who passed each of the five TAKS test sections, 2) the percent of students completing high school, 3) the percent of 7th and 8th graders who drop out of school and 4) within each of these groups, several categories of students including black, Hispanic, white, economically disadvantaged, and special education students’ passing rates. As a superintendent in north Texas noted, “You can be successful in other areas, but if one, one, of your populations doesn’t make it, it represents your whole school.” “If a district has only 10 students in a subcategory and more than one of those students fails a test, there is no way the district can be ‘exemplary’.”
The most significant changes affecting this year’s rating are the requirements that most special education and English as a Second Language (ESL) students test at grade level and students must correctly answer more items to pass.
“Although disappointed in the drop in our rating,” Salado I.S.D. Superintendent Robin Battershell said, “we showed wonderful gains in almost all areas. I am very proud of our students and teachers. They did their very best. Once again, we will rise to the new standard! But I think all of us must be cognizant that while standards rise, children are children and they are not all made by the same set of standards!”

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