Schools and districts across the state achieved more top ratings of exemplary and recognized, according to the 2006 state accountability ratings from the Texas Education Agency.
The number of top-rated schools went up from 2,213 in 2005 to 3,380 public schools, said agency spokeswoman Suzanne Marchman.
The strong improvement is a result of teachers and districts getting more familiar with testing. They are also learning better ways of teaching students critical-thinking skills, Marchman said. Awareness of the importance of teaching math and science in elementary and middle school leads to better results, she said.
"We believe that the rating is the result of hard work from dedicated teachers, students and administrators," Marchman said.
The number of campuses rated academically unacceptable also increased from 3.3 to 4 percent, according to the report.
Harder requirements to get an academically acceptable rating this year also impacted the overall passing rate, including 60 percent or higher on the English language arts, reading, writing and social studies exams as well as 40-percent passing rates or better on the math test. However, exemplary and recognized ratings remained the same, Marchman said.
"That's the largest increase in the 12-year-old history of state accountability," she said.
The ratings system was established to help parents and local communities understand how successfully schools are educating their students, so that students can have fair education environments regardless of where they live, Marchman said.
Schools also use the ratings to help specific groups to improve, because it is broken down by not only grade level, but in terms of ethnicity and economic disadvantage, Marchman said. This has resulted in an overall increase in the quality of education in Texas, she said.
Overall, Austin, including 29 high-performing schools, falls in the acceptable rating category, according to the statement.
Harris and Sims elementary schools, previously the district's lowest-rated schools, improved their status from academically unacceptable to exemplary level with effort and innovation, said Andy Welch, spokesman for the Austin Independent School District.
Four years ago, under the Austin Blueprint Schools Initiative, Harris Elementary hired experienced teachers, provided continuous professional training to them and built a new curriculum to create successful learning environments for students, said Gloria Arredondo, principal of Harris Elementary.
"We have seen the gains our students have made every year," she said. "Students belong to us, and we are going to do everything to help them to achieve and be successful."
Without a high level of communication with community and parents, it would be more challenging to have this result, Arredondo said.
"We've had a great result because of their support. The community will be very proud of their students attending Harris Elementary," she said. "We will continue to be focused on students first."
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