IDEA Public Schools announced Thursday it has been recognized by the Educational Results Partnership (ERP), a non-profit organization that applies data science to accelerate student success, as a top-performing district in Texas on the annual “Honor Roll” list. The district, including IDEA Yukon College Preparatory, earned the “Star” designation honor list for student performance on the STAAR tests.
This is the ninth year that ERP has completed the Honor Roll, which recognizes top public schools, school districts and charter schools that have outperformed their peers in closing achievement gaps, particularly among higher-poverty and historically disadvantaged student populations. The recognition is presented in collaboration with the Texas Business Leadership Council (TBLC).
“We are honored to be recognized by ERP for our continued excellence in student achievement,” Jeff Cottrill, CEO & Superintendent of IDEA Public Schools, said in a news release. “The distinction exhibits our dedication to ensuring that all students, regardless of background, have access to a high-quality education that prepares them for success in college and beyond.”
In total, 835 schools in Texas made the Honor Roll, or approximately 12 percent of the schools in the state. The designation is based on STAAR testing results provided by the TEA over the last four years. Schools and districts comprehensively performed above the mean at least 80 percent of the time for all cohorts of students served and for all grade levels served. The star ranking was given to schools and districts with greater than, or equal to 33 percent of students designated as socioeconomically disadvantaged.
“This year’s Honor Roll shines a positive light on schools where students are learning the fundamental skills that employers value and look for,” Dan Kinney ERP’s Board Chair, said in the release. “We are proud to recognize these higher performing schools and plan on learning about their best practices for accelerating student learning in the critical areas of reading, writing and math.”
The program is part of a national effort to engage business leaders in recognizing successful schools and educational systems and promote best practices that improve student outcomes. Honor Roll schools are recognized for demonstrating consistently higher levels of student achievement, improvement in achievement over time, and a reduction in achievement gaps among student populations. To learn more about the methodology used to determine the 2023 Honor Roll schools and districts, click here.
