On January 21 Dr. Farrah Gomez, Deputy Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer for the San Angelo Independent School District presented the Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) for the District. The TAPR is an annual report containing volumes of information about your local public schools, and how students and schools perform on the STARR Test. At the meeting, Dr. Gomez mentioned that TEA wants to put in place a public school report card grading a school’s academic performance on an A-F scale. For now that plan is on hold by court order. The state has not proposed a grade or rating system for private or charter schools.
The TAPR is a useful tool, but it has its limits. It is the academic equivalent of a balance sheet for a business. It is a snap shot of the District’s academic performance on one standardized test on one day. Just like a balance sheet only tells you what the assets and liabilities of the company are at that moment, STARR scores do not tell you much more than how students performed on that test on that day. In fact the amount of importance placed on this one test is controversial among professional educators. Like all people, a student’s academic performance fluctuates over time and can depend heavily on circumstances or events outside the control of the students, the teachers or the schools. But the report tells us much more about our students and schools than just test scores. The detailed demographic information can help us understand those test scores, the challenges faced by students, schools and teachers, and guide focus for improvement. It is best to examine the demographic and other information about the the District before diving into the scores. This offers greater perspective.
This school year total enrollment in SAISD is 13,180. Enrollment in any form of pre-Kindergarten education is 4.8% which is half the average in the state of 9.47%. As early childhood education is a critical factor in future academic performance, this statistic is revealing. SAISD’s Ninth grade enrollment makes up 9.7% of the student population compared to 8.5% for the state. After ninth grade enrollment drops to 6.1% in the twelfth grade compared to 6.7% for the state.
The student population is 62.2% Hispanic, 30% White and 3.3% African-American. This diverges sharply from the racial and ethnic make up of the City of San Angelo as a whole. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that the population of San Angelo is 49% White, 42% Hispanic, and 4.3% African-American. Specific data on the race and ethnicity of the school aged population in San Angelo is hard to come by, so it is difficult to estimate whether the school age population mirrors the enrollment numbers or is closer to the general population.
| Student Category | San Angelo ISD | State Average |
| Hispanic | 62.2% | 53.2% |
| White | 30% | 25% |
| African-American | 3.3% | 12.8% |
| Economically Disadvantaged | 62.1% | 62.2% |
| Non-Educationally Disadvantaged | 37.9% | 37.8% |
| Title I | 77% | 65.7% |
| At Risk | 58.5% | 53% |
The economic situation and educational advantage of SAISD students is roughly comparable to the state averages.
“Economically disadvantaged” means a socially disadvantaged person whose ability to compete in the free enterprise system has been impaired due to diminished capital and credit opportunities as compared to others in the same or similar circumstances. Typically, they have limited financial resources, often living below the poverty guidelines, where they struggle to afford basic necessities like food, housing, and healthcare, due to low income or other economic factors. The current Federal poverty guideline for a family of four is an income of $32,150 per year. These students are eligible for public financial assistance.
“Non-Educationally Disadvantaged” means a student is not considered to be from a socioeconomic background that would typically hinder their education. They are not eligible to receive free or reduced lunch or other public assistance.
But the percentage of students receiving Title I assistance (free or reduced lunch) in SAISD is significantly higher than the state average. The District’s At Risk student population is also higher on average. “At Risk” means a student is likely to fail academically or drop out of school.
Considering these factors and the challenges the District faces, the TAPR Report is largely positive while showing areas for improvement. Dr. Gomez stated that the District showed improvement in reading performance and annual growth. “We are not where we need to be, but we are improving.” She said. Attendance levels are still two years behind following the pandemic. Dr. Gomez told the Board that the District continues to focus on absences and especially students with chronic absenteeism.
College, Career, and Military Ready Graduates was a bright spot for the District. The District’s performance of 81.3% exceeded the state average of 71.3% Dr. Gomez also reported that the district is in line with the state averages on class sizes.
Focus areas, where the District needs improvement, include Mathematics, Special Education and the safety of students and staff. In mathematics the District needs additional materials, faculty and support staff. Special education needs greater focus on differentiation and meeting the needs of all learners. The report classifies the District as “needs assistance” for Special Education. The District has submitted a plan to TEA to improve performance rate on the STARR for special education students, which has been approved. One reason for the District’s low scores in special education is the District’ problem with mandatory and discretionary removal of students. A mandatory removal requires the removal of a student who exhibits serious, specific types of behavior set out by statute and regulations, and requires removal from the campus to either a district alternative education placement program or expulsion. Discretionary removal by contrast is a temporary removal for a disciplinary situation when the special education student’s behavior is disruptive. Last year there were 2,135 mandatory removals and 1,114 discretionary removals. It goes without saying that removals impact academic performance of those students.
As far as safety, Dr. Gomez said this is a different time with behavior of students than any other time in education. It goes beyond just the threat of a school shooting. She noted the number of violent incidents in the District has increased. Last year there were 13 terroristic threats, 15 assaults on District employees, and 54 assaults of non-employees. Vaping has become a significant problem in recent years with over 280 incidents involving e-cigarettes last year. The District is trying to address this problem as a matter of education not discipline and has partnered with the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council for this effort.
The report shows improvement despite the many challenges our public schools face in educating every child in our community, regardless of income, educational background, race, religion, ethnicity, family situation or readiness. It also highlights what schools and educators should focus on in an environment where they have to constantly adapt to new and different challenges, circumstances, broad and individualized educational needs, changing societal norms, and technology at an unprecedented pace.
