By Michael Wood, Vice President, Education & Workforce
Average reading time: 4 minutes
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) released A-F accountability ratings for the state’s public school districts and campuses for both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years on Friday, Aug. 15.
Texas’ A-F Accountability System is a statewide rating system for public schools and the primary tool stakeholders can use to evaluate campus and district performance. Additionally, A-F ratings give state policymakers important data to understand the return on Texas’ investment in public education, which totals more than $160,000 per student through the duration of their PK-12 career.
Earlier this year, the TEA released ratings from the 2022-23 academic year following the conclusion of a lawsuit that precluded the agency from publishing grades. A separate lawsuit contesting results from the 2023-24 academic year was settled in July. State education officials elected to align the release of 2023-24 results with the scheduled release of 2024-25 results on Friday, Aug. 15. As a result, the state has released three years’ worth of A-F ratings in just six months.
Despite the delayed release, ratings from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years are still critically important in identifying trends in school performance – and allowing the state to intervene in cases of poor outcomes.
More than half of Texas’ school districts and campuses earned an “A” or “B” rating in 2025
Across the state, 24% of school districts and 31% of campuses increased their ratings from 2024 to 2025.
- Among Texas school districts, 14% earned an “A” rating in 2025, compared to 11% in 2024, while 41% earned a “B” rating in 2025, up from 37% a year ago.
- At the campus level, 23% of schools received an “A” and 33% received a “B” in 2025 – up from 18% and 33%, respectively, in 2024.
These gains follow a refresh of the A-F Accountability System, introduced for the 2023 ratings, which enhanced the rigor of the state’s accountability grades. In 2022, prior to the new accountability standards, 74% of campuses earned an “A” or “B” grade.
Frisco, Garland, and Dallas ISDs lead North Texas school district ratings
Most of the Dallas Region’s largest school districts and charters have seen stability or growth in their A-F ratings since 2023, with Frisco, Garland, and Dallas ISDs leading the pack.
Dallas ISD, in particular, has achieved significant growth since 2023. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath kicked off a statewide tour touting improved school ratings at Dallas ISD’s Walnut Hill International Leadership Academy, which rose to an “A” rating in 2025 from a “C” in 2024.
See the table below to evaluate how the ten largest public school systems in the region have performed since 2023. You can search for your neighborhood school or school district at www.txschools.gov.
| District | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | Trend since 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington ISD | C / 76 | C / 74 | C / 72 | +4 |
| Dallas ISD | B / 83 | C / 79 | C / 76 | +7 |
| Fort Worth ISD | C / 73 | C / 70 | D / 65 | +8 |
| Frisco ISD | A / 90 | A / 90 | A / 90 | ~ |
| Garland ISD | B / 84 | B / 81 | B / 81 | +3 |
| Irving ISD | C / 76 | C / 73 | C / 72 | +4 |
| Mesquite ISD | B / 80 | C / 79 | C / 77 | +3 |
| Plano ISD | B / 82 | B / 83 | B / 84 | -2 |
| Richardson ISD | C / 79 | C / 78 | C / 75 | +4 |
| Uplift Education | C / 78 | C / 76 | C / 75 | +3 |
Texas lawmakers exploring changes to state PK-12 assessment system
Governor Abbott included an overhaul of the state’s PK-12 assessment system on the agenda for the second called special session of the 89th Texas Legislature, which gaveled in on Friday, Aug. 15.
The charge asks legislators to eliminate the STAAR exam, a foundational component of the A-F grading system, and replace it with new tools to evaluate student progress and provide for school district accountability. Proposals under consideration by the legislature would replace the STAAR with three shorter exams administered at the beginning, middle, and end-of-year. The proposed assessment system is intended to provide teachers and parents with more consistent and actionable feedback on student achievement.
If lawmakers approve the proposal – filed as House Bill 8 by Chairman Brad Buckley and Senate Bill 9 by Chairman Paul Bettencourt – the TEA would have until the 2027-28 school year to implement the new test.
Join us at the DRC’s annual State of Public Education on Wednesday, Sept. 24, to hear more about accountability ratings and potential changes to the state assessment system from Commissioner Morath and a panel of local school system leaders.