By Michael Wood, Vice President, Education & Workforce
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is proposing changes that will better align the state’s accountability measures for college, career and military readiness (CCMR) with postsecondary outcomes and expectations. Here’s what you need to know about the forthcoming change and what it means for Texas’ future workforce.
Texas’ A-F Accountability System grades campuses and districts throughout the state
Every year, Texas assigns public school districts, charters and campuses an academic accountability rating—a simple letter grade meant to capture how well they’re serving students. This system, known as A-F Accountability, looks at more than just test scores. It uses standardized assessments to understand where students start, how much they grow year over year and how different groups of students are performing, alongside other important measures like graduation rates and CCMR outcomes.
That last piece—CCMR—plays an especially important role at the high school level. For high schools, the A-F Accountability System considers a variety of CCMR indicators, ranging from completion of a dual credit course, attainment of an associate degree, passage of an advanced coursework exam, military enlistment and more.
Presently, a student is considered college, career or military ready if they meet any one of the ten CCMR criteria, despite the varying level of rigor of the indicators.
Under this current framework, 78% of graduating seniors in the Dallas Region were considered college, career or military ready in 2025, yet just 30% earn any type of postsecondary degree within six years of high school graduation.
Updated A-F Accountability System will enhance CCMR measures based on student outcomes
The TEA routinely updates the A-F Accountability System to maintain rigor and alignment with trends in student achievement.
Beginning with the Class of 2030—this year’s 8th graders—the A-F Accountability System will weigh CCMR criteria based on correlation to postsecondary outcomes, such as credential and wage attainment.
Based on their achievement across all CCMR indicators, students will be assigned one of three readiness levels, earning more credit for meeting the most rigorous criteria.
This change will give a clearer picture of how well students are prepared for what comes next—be that college, a career or military enlistment—both statewide and in the Dallas Region. For businesses, that means a more reliable signal of the strength of the future workforce. And for school system leaders, this change will ensure that campuses and districts are rewarded for equipping students with the skills, credentials and experiences that matter most for the long-term success of individual students and the broader economy.
North Texas school districts are already aligned with the most rigorous CCMR standards
Many school districts in the Dallas Region are already aligned with the forthcoming, more rigorous standards.
Cedar Hill ISD and Garland ISD, for example, both outpace the state average in the number of graduates earning an associate degree while in high school, among the highest-value CCMR indicators: 18% of Cedar Hill ISD graduates and 9% of Garland ISD graduates met this standard, compared to just 3% statewide.
Under the current framework, a student who completes just one dual credit course is considered equally college, career or military ready as a student who earns an associate degree upon high school graduation. The proposed changes to the A-F Accountability System will better recognize these differences in readiness and school district investment.
What comes next for public school accountability
TEA will complete its refresh of the A-F Accountability System by the end of 2026. Before formal implementation of these CCMR tiering changes for the Class of 2030, TEA will provide school districts with annual “what-if” ratings, demonstrating what campus and district grades would be under the new CCMR standards. The new CCMR standards will officially take effect for the 2031 administration of A-F Accountability ratings.
Interested in learning more about public school accountability? Drop me a note at mwood@dallaschamber.org.