WACO, Texas (KXXV) — Waco ISD has received a "D" accountability rating for the 2024-2025 school year, marking the fourth consecutive year with this low performance score. Every school in the district, from pre-K through high school, received low ratings. Superintendent Tiffany Spicer acknowledges the rating but emphasizes that standardized testing represents just "one test, one day, one time" and doesn't capture the full picture of student success.
- Every Waco ISD school received a low accountability rating for the 2024-2025 school year, with the district earning a "D" rating for the third consecutive year
- Superintendent Tiffany Spicer acknowledges the "D" rating but argues that standardized testing doesn't reflect student success, pointing to graduates attending prestigious universities
- Waco ISD has a significantly higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students (88%) compared to neighboring districts with better ratings (Temple 71%, Killeen 62%, Belton 42%)
- The district is implementing a turnaround plan to improve scores and prevent potential state intervention, with officials committed to meeting students "where they're at"
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Every single Waco ISD school from pre-K to high school received a low accountability rating for the 2024-2025 school year. If this pattern continues, the state could step in.
Waco ISD has received a "D" accountability rating for the 2024-2025 school year, marking the third consecutive year with this low score.
"We have a 'D' and we're gonna own that 'D', but what I would tell you is this: that test is one test, one day, one time," said Superintendent Dr. Tiffany Spicer.
Dr. Spicer says that score based off STAAR testing doesn't tell the full story of student achievement.
"What people might not hear about our students is that they are successful beyond our district. We have students going to Vanderbilt, Texas A&M Texas Tech. They are leaving and they're going straight to work, um, making good money," Spicer said.
Deputy Superintendent Dr. Melissa King-Knowles explained that several of their students come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, leaving them with more learning gaps.
"What we know about students that come from families with those kinds of struggles is that the focus is really on sustaining livelihood and so the ability to focus on the supports for academic growth like families maybe who are not struggling in the same way," King-Knowles said.
Waco ISD students are more than 88% economically disadvantaged, compared to Temple ISD at 71%, Killeen ISD at nearly 62%, and Belton ISD at 42%.
"One thing that I want a parent to know is we're going to embrace your child. We're going to meet them where they're at," King-Knowles said.
Moving forward, Spicer tells 25 News they have worked on their curriculum and tightened up accountability for teachers.
"Waco ISD, we're on the up and up, we're coming, and we will have that B, we will have that C, and maybe one day an A, but right now we're gonna take care of our students in our seats right now," Dr. Spicer said.
The district is currently working on a turnaround plan, and Deputy Superintendent King-Knowles feels strongly that they will raise their score this year to prevent the state from intervening.
Editorial note: This article has been updated to accurately reflect the data collected and published by the TEA to show Waco ISD's rating at a 'D' for a third consecutive year, not a fourth, which previously included a "What If" year during the 2021-2022 school year due to COVID.
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