McAllen ISD has 15 campuses which earned the state’s highest grade in the state accountability system known as STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness).
For the second straight year, every high school earned the “A.” This includes Achieve Early College High, Lamar Academy, Rowe High, McAllen High and McAllen Memorial High.
In addition, five middle schools and five elementary campuses also earned the top grade including Morris Middle School, Brown Middle School, Cathey Middle School, Fossum Middle School, Travis Middle School, Rayburn Elementary, Fields Elementary, Gonzalez Elementary, Houston Elementary and Milam Elementary.
The state accountability ratings include seven Distinction Designations. Five schools including Rowe High, Brown Middle School, Cathey Middle School, Fossum Middle School and Morris Middle School earned all seven.
Meanwhile, Achieve Early College High and Memorial High earned six of the seven distinctions. Four elementary campuses including Fields, Houston, Milam and Rayburn earned all six distinctions they were eligible for.
“We are excited that so many campuses did so well on the state accountability ratings and the special distinctions,” McAllen ISD Superintendent Dr. René Gutiérrez said. “It speaks to the hard work of our teachers, students, staff, administrators and School Board. This puts us in an excellent position to continue moving forward for years to come.”
Districts and schools receive grades of A, B, C, D, or an F for overall performance, as well as for performance in each domain. The state legislature approved the new A-F rating system in 2015.
Starting in 2027-28, the SST (Student Success Tool) will replace STAAR in Texas. Passed under House Bill 8, the SST will feature three shorter assessments per year instead of one high-stakes assessment under STAAR.