This year for the first time the high school received an “A” grade by the Texas Education Agency.
“The grading is based on lots of factors,” testing and accountability coordinator Lori Weinheimer said. “We are graded most on our STAAR scores and number of students that receive CCMR (college, career and military readiness).”
The school receives a large amount of points from high STAAR grades. Because a lot of points are based on student CCMR, Weinheimer keeps track of every student and what they do that could qualify them for CCMR.
“We have to make sure that you’ve done something by your senior year in order to get CCMR credit,” Weinheimer said. “Then I do all the documentation and make sure all the paperwork is in and ready to go.”
Students can gain CCMR credit by scoring high on the ACT, SAT or TSI test. CCMR can also be earned by taking college prep math or english, passing AP exams or earning industry based certifications through CTE (career and technology education) courses.
“The rules for CTE certifications changed, and we are having to watch them very closely now,” Weinheimer said. “It used to be that you just had to earn the certification but now you have to take a certain amount of courses within a subject area and get certified.”
Principal Joey McQueen put a large amount of emphasis on showing growth in STAAR. Teachers who teach STARR courses helped students learn and set goals to perform better on their STARR test.
“I think STAAR was the biggest thing that made a difference,” Weinheimer said. “We’ve always wanted to get better, but I think last year for the first time it looked like we could really get there. So Mr. MCQueen really put the goal out there to become an ‘A’ school.”
The school’s official score was about a 91. Due to the changing CCMR rules, scoring an “A” is harder than it ever has been before, but that just makes the victory all the sweeter for Weinheimer.
“We are very hyped about it,” Weinheimer said. “It’s awesome. There’s a lot of people who work behind the scenes, but ultimately it’s all the hard work that the teachers and students have put in.”
Teachers aren’t the only ones excited about the accomplishment. Students are a big part of what makes the school an “A”.
“I feel proud that our school is graded as an ‘A,” junior Maggie Ochsner said. “I think it shows the hard work and dedication that each student continually puts into their academic career. Knowing that I’m part of an ‘A’ school improves my school spirit tremendously. It’s motivating to know that I’m a part of such a wonderful school that inspires me to be the best I can.”
