850- Applied Research Discussion 1
Are educators using State Accountability Measures for the benet of all students? Is the Texas A-F
Accountability System beneng all students North Texas Region 10? in
Out of 49 accountability district leaders in the Region 10 North Texas area surveyed in 2022, 36%
strongly agreed that they have used Accountability data to improve student outcomes and 33% strongly
agree that they understand the Texas A-F accountability system very well. This leaves about 70% who do
not understand or use accountability data eecvely.
Some accountability systems are based on passing or failing state assessments which draw aenon to
low-performing students. Currently, states can add other measurements to their accountability systems,
including growth. Response to Intervenon (RTI) is not federally required but included in many state
laws. In Texas, House Bill 4545 established extra intervenons for failing students during the pandemic.
While iniaves like RTI and 4545 have a posive eect on some students, they do not help the average
grade-level student and may take me, good teachers, and money away from them. “Learning loss of
dierences between demographic subgroups is minor at this point in me and less than feared”
(Betebenner, 2021). Are using accountability for the benet all students? we of
Many programs have targeted the lowest and highest students in educaon, while the average student
has been forgoen. Numerous teachers feel that the average student is doing ne and will okay. be
Gied and talented students, by law, are supposed to receive dierenated instrucon. The COVID- 19
Pandemic le a large number of students with learning gaps, causing educators iniate new tutoring to
programs and guidance on new resources. How is this impacng the average student? Are they also
receiving the benet of new programs and resources? While there is growing research on the eects of
COVID on students, it seems to be focused on low-performing students relave to race and economic
status.
Accountability should help and not harm the performance of all students. Children important are to God
and are menoned more than 200 mes in scripture. Chrisan educators oen feel called to make a
dierence for students. We should train up all students in the ways they should go ( , King James Bible
1769/2017, Proverbs 22:6). If we want to make a dierence for all students, must ensure we no student
is being le out and all our growing closer to the potenal God has for them. Texas’s A-F Accountability
