Highland Park ISD families expect their school district to bring home an A grade in the Texas Education Agency’s Annual Accountability Ratings.
But this year, the district ranked at the top of its class. HPISD outperformed every school district of its size for the first time since the A-F system was implemented in 2018.
The district earned an overall rating of 96 out of 100. It scored higher than 5A/6A rivals Lovejoy ISD — which ranked as the state’s top-achieving larger district in 2019, 2022, and 2023, and tied for the title in 2018 — and Carroll ISD, which tied with HPISD for the top spot among 5A/6A districts in 2024.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the state did not release grades for school districts in 2020 or 2021.
HPISD’s rise to the top of the rankings for 5A/6A school districts isn’t due to a major change, but to outstanding teachers who are ensuring that students master the material they’re expected to learn, explained deputy superintendent Shorr Heathcote.
“Teachers are doing a wonderful job in following the frameworks,” she said. “We’re just continuing to double down on those standards and making sure that we’re meeting the mark and the expectation of the community and the board (of trustees.)”
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The Texas Education Agency’s annual ratings are based primarily on student achievement and how well schools prepare students for future success, whether that’s in the next grade, or in college, the workforce, or the military. The ratings also consider if schools ensure that all populations of students can be successful.
Superintendent Mike Rockwood called the top rating the direct result of hard work from teachers and staff. In particular, students at McCulloch Intermediate School and Highland Park Middle School earned some of their highest math and English Language Arts scores of the past five years.
“We have been focusing on being an A-rated school system for many years,” he said. “But to be the number one rated 5A/6A public school system in the state certainly shows that our commitment to excellence is proven across Texas.”
During a work session on Sept. 9, members of HPISD’s board of trustees asked Heathcote about areas where the district had lost points in the ratings.
Heathcote explained the district struggles on measures of academic growth, since its high performing students have less room to show growth, and on closing the gaps, which evaluates achievement among student populations who may be at risk or at a lower socioeconomic designation.
Board member Bryce Benson called the ratings great news for the district.
“The consistency among the campuses is gratifying,” he said. “Keep it up.”
His colleague Doug Woodward added, “It’s harder to stay at the top than it is to get to the top.”
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