YISD receives TEA ratings

The Yoakum Independent School District received a “B” rating in the Texas Education Agency’s 2023 STAAR accountability report, with notable progress across multiple academic areas.

The TEA accountability rating is a system used by the agency to evaluate academic performance of public schools and districts across the state.

The district met state standards in all three rated domains: Student Achievement, School Progress, and Closing the Gaps. Superintendent Tom Kelley said School Progress showed the most improvement overall.

Three of the district’s campuses also received distinction designations from the state for academic performance.

Yoakum High School was recognized for Reading, Math, Science, and Academic Growth.

Yoakum Intermediate earned distinctions in Math and Science, and Yoakum Junior High was noted for Postsecondary Readiness.

“ When analyzing YISD’s ratings to other comparable district, YISD did very well,” Kelley aid.

“We commend our students, teachers, administrators, staff and school board.”

Although the data reflects performance from two years ago, Kelley said the district has already taken steps to address areas needing improvement. This includes analyzing instructional data, adjusting tutorial strategies, and modifying the instructional schedule.

“ Moving forward, YISD will continue monitoring student academic growth, recruiting highly effective teachers, and intervening and implementing new instruction strategies when necessary,” Kelley said.

“Once again, we congratulate our students, teachers and staff for a job well done.”

The TEA assigns letter grades to districts and campuses based on standardized test scores, graduation rates, and other performance indicators.

A “B” rating reflects above-average performance, with room for growth.