Angleton ISD has always been the A-Team, but now it can boast that it is also an A District. AISD earned an A rating through the Texas Education Agency’s accountability system and was awarded a distinction in Postsecondary Readiness. 

AISD is one of only two districts in Brazoria County to receive an A and one of only two Brazoria County districts to earn the Postsecondary Readiness distinction, the only distinction possible for districts.

These scores are a culmination of the efforts of AISD teachers and staff members who worked together across grade levels and subject areas to reach students and help them grow, Superintendent Phil Edwards said.

“The accountability ratings are a testament to the great work our teachers and schools have done over the last two years,” Edwards said. “We knew our teachers were working hard to meet their students’ needs and that our students have been demonstrating outstanding growth and academic achievement for the last two years, and these scores are the payoff of all of that work.”

Each campus performed better on this year’s scores than the last official scoring in 2019, which led to the district’s A rating. With each overall score improving, all of the campuses also earned distinctions in specifically targeted areas, including preparing students for postsecondary education and closing performance gaps that existed for certain students or groups. 

A dedicated focus on individualized learning and growth were a major factor, said Dr. Adam Stephens, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum. Instead of assessing student data solely on subject or grade, individualized MAP, or Measure of Academic Progress, testing allowed teachers and principals to adjust learning to a student’s needs and help each student be successful. 

“More than the scores, something we’re really proud of is that our students all grew academically,” he said. “It’s easy to celebrate the scores and we want to celebrate that success, but knowing that we had more students hit their learning targets than any year before, that’s what we’re even more proud of.” 

Angleton High School earned an 87, five points higher than 2019, and was awarded distinctions in Postsecondary Readiness, English Language Arts/Reading, and Closing the Performance Gaps. 

Angleton Junior High’s scores rose 12 points over its 2019 scores and the campus earned five distinctions: Postsecondary Readiness, English Language Arts/Reading, Mathematics and Closing the Performance Gaps.

“I am so proud of the staff here at the junior high. Each and every AJH staff member helped our school improve and we are blessed to have such a strong team,” AJH Principal Trisha Terrell said. “I can’t wait to see what we achieve this year.” 

Central Elementary earned a 90 with distinctions in Postsecondary Readiness, Science, Closing the Performance Gaps, and Mathematics.

Frontier Elementary earned a 93 with distinctions in Postsecondary Readiness, Science, Closing the Performance Gaps, Mathematics and English Language Arts/Reading.

Northside Elementary increased its overall score by double digits, earning an 87 this year and earning five of the six possible distinctions: Postsecondary Readiness, Science, Closing the Performance Gaps, Mathematics and English Language Arts/Reading. 

Rancho Isabella Elementary scored a 94 with distinctions in Postsecondary Readiness, Science, Closing the Performance Gaps, Mathematics and English Language Arts/Reading.

Westside Elementary also scored a 94 and earned distinctions in Postsecondary Readiness, Science, Closing the Performance Gaps, Mathematics and English Language Arts/Reading. 

The school with the largest jump in overall performance, Southside Elementary rose from a D campus to an A with a score of 91. Scores significantly increased in all areas and Southside was the only elementary to earn all six distinctions possible: Postsecondary Readiness, Science, Closing the Gaps, Mathematics, English Language Arts/Reading, and Comparative Growth.

Southside Principal Jerri Lynn McNeill gave all the praise to her staff, who worked tirelessly to make sure each student was successful. 

“These teachers worked so hard,” she said. “They learned what their students needed and adjusted to make sure that each student was learning and retaining the information taught. It was a team effort all around from the teachers, to the aides, and our special education team - everyone in the building, really. We knew our students had this potential, and to see it reflected not only in the scores, but in the distinctions, I could not be more proud of Southside.” 

This success shows that the district’s current systems are working and now it's about delving into the data to see what we’re doing well and where we need to make adjustments to better support teachers where they need it, Stephens said. 

“Our teachers do a great job already, and with this data, we can hone in on areas where we can grow and places we need to invest more time on with students,” he said. “We believe if you teach and teach well, the tests will take care of themselves.”