For two years, Texas families, educators, and communities have been left without access to critical A-F school accountability ratings
March 07, 2025 by EdTrust in Texas 
For two years, Texas families, educators, and communities have been left without access to critical A-F school accountability ratings — a key measure of student progress and school performance. In response, EdTrust in Texas has joined a coalition of parent, business, and education nonprofit leaders in filing an amicus brief in Morath v. Pecos-Barstow-Toyah Independent School District, urging the 15th Court of Appeals to compel the release of this vital data.
The lack of transparency in school performance data hinders efforts to improve educational outcomes, particularly for underserved students. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reveals troubling trends in Texas, ranking the state in the bottom 25% for fourth grade reading, with an even steeper drop to 12% for 8th grade. Without up-to-date A-F ratings, educators and policymakers lose a crucial tool to identify struggling schools and allocate resources where they are needed most.
“Texas families and communities deserve clear and honest information about how schools are serving students,” said Jonathan Feinstein, state director of EdTrust in Texas. “Withholding this data denies parents the ability to make informed choices, weakens efforts to address opportunity gaps, and ultimately harms students who rely on a strong public education system to prepare them for the future.”
A-F ratings provide essential insights for a wide range of stakeholders:
While the lawsuit over the specifics of the accountability system is ongoing, EdTrust in Texas and its partners emphasize that keeping Texans in the dark about school performance is not a viable solution. By restoring access to A-F ratings, Texas can reaffirm its commitment to student success, transparency, and continuous school improvement.
