Two of the four FBISD schools recognized this year as Honor Roll Schools by the Texas Business and Education Coalition were in New Territory: Sartartia Middle School and Walker Station Elementary School. Less than four percent of the 8,000 Texas public schools receive this designation. The 254 schools recognized by the TBEC were selected based on the percentage of students with commended performances on the state’s TAKS tests. “The 2009 standards were by far the toughest in the 10 year history of the award,” says the TBEC on their website. “All schools were expected to improve their commended performance for 2008 and every school was required to have a minimum of 20% of students tested performing at the commended level on ALL tests for 2009.”
This is the third consecutive year that Sartartia Middle School has been named a TBEC Honor Roll School and the second consecutive year for Walker Station Elementary School. Both schools, as well as Brazos Bend Elementary School, received “exemplary" ratings by the Texas Education Agency this year.
The other two FBISD schools to be honored were Fort Settlement Middle School and Commonwealth Elementary School, both in First Colony.
Katy ISD had two schools on the TBEC Honor Roll list, Kilpatrick and Roosevelt Alexander Elementary Schools. Lamar CISD had one: Wessendorf Middle School.
“Being named a TBEC Honor Roll school is the most prestigious academic award given in Texas,” says their website.
The TBEC analyzes three years’ of performance data for every public school in Texas. Those schools chosen as Honor Roll Schools have the highest percentage of students meeting state standards on every TAKS test for three consecutive years, and have the highest percentage of students performing at the commended level in every subject. The selection criteria also considers the school's demographics, number of subjects tested and grade levels.
To view the actual scores for each school, go to tbec.org.
The TBEC will recognize all Honor Roll Schools at an awards ceremony in San Antonio in November.
