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FIRST FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY RATING SYSTEM
The state's school financial accountability rating system, known as the School Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST), ensures that Texas public schools are held accountable for the quality of their financial management practices and that they improve those practices. The system is designed to encourage Texas public schools to better manage their financial resources to provide the maximum allocation possible for direct instructional purposes.
The Texas Education Agency today released accreditation statuses for school districts and charter schools across the state. Accreditation statuses are based on state academic accountability ratings, the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (known commonly as School FIRST), data reporting, special program effectiveness, and compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
Of 1,195 Texas school districts and charter schools, 1,185 (99 percent) received a status designation of Accredited for the 2018-2019 school year. An Accredited status recognizes districts and charter schools as a public school that meets specific academic and financial standards.
Under the Texas Education Code, the commissioner of education annually assigns accreditation statuses to each school district and charter school. Accreditation statuses for the 2018-2019 school year include: Accredited (1,185); Accredited-Warned (6); Accredited-Probation (1); Not Accredited-Revoked (1); and Pending (2).
An Accredited-Warned status means a district or charter school exhibits deficiencies in academic and/or financial performance that, if not addressed, could lead to probation or revocation of its accreditation status. For the 2018-2019 school year, one school district and five charter schools received an Accredited-Warned accreditation status.
An Accredited-Probation status means a district or charter school exhibits deficiencies in academic and/or financial performance over a three-year period, or in both academic and financial performance over a two-year period. These deficiencies must be addressed by the district to avoid revocation of its accreditation status. For the 2018-2019 school year, one school district received an Accredited-Probation accreditation status.
The 2018-2019 accreditation status for each school district and charter school can be found on the Texas Education Agency website at http:11tea.texas.gov/accredstatus/.
RYSS 2018-2019 FIRST Rating
