Texas Education Agency

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is comprised of the commissioner of education and the agency staff. The TEA and the State Board of Education (SBOE) guide and monitor activities and programs related to public education in Texas.

The SBOE consists of 15 elected members representing different regions of the state. One member is appointed chair by the governor. In January 1997, Governor George Bush re-appointed Dr. Jack Christie as chair for a second two-year term. A map showing 1996-97 SBOE district boundaries is included in the Endnotes.

Located in Austin, Texas, the TEA is the administrative unit for public education. Under the management of the commissioner of education, the TEA accredits school districts; administers the statewide assessment system, curriculum development, and the textbook adoption process; operates research and information programs; monitors for compliance with federal and state guidelines; and serves as a fiscal agent for the distribution of state and federal funds. TEA operational costs are supported by both state and federal funds. In 1996-97, TEA employed 786 staff. A little more than half of all agency positions are funded with state dollars (54.1 percent). The remaining 45.9 percent are funded from federal contracts and dedicated fees (40.7 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively).

Local School Districts and Charter Schools

Senate Bill 1, passed by the 74th Texas Legislature in 1995, established a new type of school, the open-enrollment charter school. In 1995-96, the SBOE authorized 20 such schools, and 16 of these were in operation by the fall of the 1996-97 school year. Charter schools are subject to fewer state laws than other public schools and many are designed to serve students at risk of academic failure or dropping out of school. In 1996-97, the 16 charter schools served approximately 2,400 students.

The charter schools join the 1,043 local school districts in providing services to public schoolchildren in Texas. While the SBOE and the commissioner of education provide leadership for education, much of the control of public schools remains with the local school districts and charters. Statute grants any responsibilities not specifically assigned to the SBOE or the TEA to the local school districts and charters.

Districts and charters serve students in pre-kindergarten through grade twelve. There are over 6,800 public school campuses in Texas, the majority of which serve students in the elementary grades.

The number of campuses in a district varies greatly, depending primarily on the total number of students enrolled in the district. The majority of districts, 54 percent, have three or fewer campuses--typically one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school. Nearly 20 percent of all districts operate only one campus. Exhibit 1 below, presents campus and student counts for each school type. Campuses are categorized according to the range of grades they offer. Exhibit B in the Endnotes provides more information about the grades offered in each campus category.

Districts in Texas are classified according to governance structure and their ability to raise local revenue. The four types of districts are defined as follows:

1) Regular Foundation School Program (FSP) Districts, or districts created under general statutory authority that are eligible for state funding assistance under the Foundation School Program. These districts may also tax property within their geographic boundaries. Most districts fall into this category--1,037, or 98 percent in 1996-97;

2) Special Statutory Districts, or districts created by a special legislative act but not administered by a state government agency. These districts have no taxable property and are almost wholly supported with state and federal money. They include the public schools associated with military bases in the San Antonio area, and the Masonic Home in Fort Worth. There are six of these districts;

3) State-Administered Districts, or districts created by a legislative act which are both funded and administered by a state government agency. Most of these 11 districts are administered by the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation, and;

4) Open-Enrollment Charter Schools, or charters granted by the SBOE to operate in a facility of a commercial or nonprofit entity or a school district. Like the special statutory districts, these charters have no taxable property and are almost wholly supported with state and federal money. Sixteen of the 20 charters allowed in statute were open and had students enrolled in the fall of 1996.

Snapshot '97 includes data for the 1,037 regular FSP districts, the six special statutory districts, and the 16 charter schools. State-administered districts do not have the same reporting requirements and are not included.

Regional Education Service Centers

The 20 regional education service centers (ESCs) provide basic services to school districts within defined geographic boundaries. Differences exist among the ESCs in terms of the number and characteristics of their member districts. All ESCs furnish services that support improved student achievement in the districts within their boundaries. Some service centers provide special services to districts statewide. Exhibit 2 and Exhibit 3 show the locations and sizes of ESCs

Assistance is targeted to those campuses in the greatest need of improvement and support. To this end, funding is provided to staff field service agents in each region. The field service agents work closely with school districts to help solve problems related to low student achievement and to facilitate communication between districts and the agency.

The ESCs collaborate with districts to provide technical assistance in the areas of accreditation and curriculum, professional staff development and administrator training, and the implementation of PEIMS. Service centers also provide schools with instructional technology, data processing services, and assistance in program improvement in areas such as bilingual education, special education, gifted and talented education, and programs for at-risk students. A regional certification officer provides technical assistance on teacher certification issues to schools within the region.

Some functions of TEA were decentralized to the education service centers beginning in 1995. Many technical assistance functions and the mentor networks are now assigned to the ESCs.

Statistics for all 87 items are summarized to the regional level in the Detailed Statistics. Additional information about the service centers is available from the agency's Regional Education Service Center Support Unit.

The various agencies of public education work together to provide a successful system of instruction in an extremely diverse state. The Texas Education Agency, the local school districts, the ESCs, and a number of other associations and organizations committed to educational excellence strive to meet the challenges of providing appropriate educational services to all the schoolchildren of Texas.