TEA issues ratings for Valley schools

Four Rio Grande Valley school districts received an “exemplary” rating from the Texas Education Agency on Friday, 22 were rated “recognized” and two received an “academically unacceptable” rating.

TEA announced its academic accountability ratings for schools across the state. The ratings are based on Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills tests, or TAKS, attendance, dropout rates and other fac-tors.

Among the exemplary districts were Donna-based IDEA Public Schools and the South Texas Inde-pendent School District, which operates technology-based magnet schools in the Valley.

The Brownsville Independent School District and Harmony Science Academy-Brownsville received a recognized rating, along with districts in Harlingen, Hidalgo, La Feria, Lasara, Los Fresnos, Lyford, Mercedes, Mission, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo, Progreso, Rio Grande City, Rio Hondo, Roma, San Benito, San Perlita, Santa Rosa and Sharyland.

Valley View Independent School District and the charter schools Vanguard Academy and South Texas Educational Technologies, Inc. also received a recognized rating.

The two academically unacceptable districts were Edcouch-Elsa and Raymondville.

TEA’s Region 1 said 194 of its campuses were rated exemplary, 225 were rated recognized, 107 re-ceived an “academically acceptable” rating and no campuses were rated as academically unacceptable.

Region 1 stretches from Laredo to Brownsville.