TXSmartSchools

Academic Progress Measure

Our Academic Progress measure provides a unique insight into student performance by estimating how much a district or campus contributes to student learning. By controlling for differences in student demographics and prior performance, we are able to make apples-to-apples comparisons among schools and districts with respect to academic progress in reading/English language arts and mathematics. Our composite academic progress rating combines math and reading progress, giving equal weights to each subject.

All academic progress measures are shown in percentiles ranging from zero to 99, with 99 representing the most academic progress relative to other districts in the state.

Spending Index

To create valid financial comparisons, our comparison tool identifies up to 40 fiscal peers for each Texas school district and campus, based on common cost factors such as:

• local labor market conditions
• school district size and geography
• student demographics

Each district is assigned a spending index based on its spending relative to its fiscal peers. The district-level spending index compares core operating expenditures per pupil (adjusted for differences in labor cost) within a group of similarly situated school districts. The spending index ranges from very low to very high.

A similar process is used to create a spending index for each campus. However, there are no uniform standards for districts to follow when allocating expenses to their campuses. The spending index for campuses is based only on campus-related expenditures, such as instruction, instructional services, school leadership and student support services.

It does not include central administrative costs, which may not be allocated equally across all campuses in a district.

Smart Score

Finally, the review team created a Smart Score that combine academic progress and spending measures to identify districts responsible for strong and cost-effective academic growth.

Each district has received a Smart Score rating ranging from one to five stars, with half-star increments.

• A five-star district has a composite progress rating between 80 and 99 and a spending index of “Very Low.”
• A one-star district has a composite progress rating below 20 and a spending index of “Very High.”
• A district with “Very High” spending and a composite progress rating of 80 to 99, and a district with “Very Low” spending and a composite progress percentile below 20, both earn three-star Smart Score ratings.

This rating does not make any judgment of the relative value of spending versus academic progress, recognizing that different school districts have different priorities and different constraints.

Academic Progress Measure + Spending Index = Smart Score

Composite Academic Progress	Spending Index
Percentile	Very High	High	Average	Low	Very Low
80-99	3 STARS	3½ STARS	4 STARS	4½ STARS	5 STARS
60-79	2½ STARS	3 STARS	3½ STARS	4 STARS	4½ STARS
40-59	2 STARS	2½ STARS	3 STARS	3½ STARS	4 STARS
20-39	1½ STARS	2 STARS	2½ STARS	3 STARS	3½ STARS
LESS THAN 20	1 STAR	1½ STARS	2 STARS	2½ STARS	3 STARS