Winter 1998

Snapshot '97, the tenth edition of this publication, provides information about students, student performance, staffing, and the financing of Texas public school districts. This annual summary is a useful source of information for anyone interested in examining the demographics of Texas public education, the resources available, and the improvements that have been made in student achievement. As a balance to greater autonomy and increased local control of educational policies and practices by school districts, the Texas Education Agency administers a statewide performance-based accountability system. Ratings issued the summer of 1997 marked the fifth year schools and districts have been evaluated under this accountability system. Over that period, students, educators, parents, and community leaders have worked together to dramatically improve performance results for all students, across all socioeconomic levels. As a consequence, the number of high-performing schools and districts increased dramatically over last year, while the number of low-performing schools declined for the second year in a row. These gains were achieved even though higher minimum standards for the ratings system have been implemented annually since 1995. To gain a more comprehensive view of public education in Texas, I encourage you to become familiar with the material contained in Snapshot '97, available both as a publication and through the Texas Education Agency's website at: http://www.tea.state.tx.us. Texas is a national leader in the collection and use of data pertaining to public schools and districts. This publication enables researchers, parents, and taxpayers to take advantage of an important portion of these rich data sources. With this information you will know what public education in Texas is like, how far we have come, and where we need to go.

Sincerely yours,

Mike Moses
Commissioner of Education

Acknowledgments

The preparation of the Snapshot '97 book and the related Pocket Edition would not have been possible without the assistance of many people. First, appreciation goes to the staff of local school districts and regional Education Service Centers who compile and report the vast majority of the information contained in this document. The quality of the data they provide directly affects the quality and usefulness of this document.

Many Texas Education Agency staff, in addition to the project staff, generously contributed their time to this effort. These include Sharlana Dillard, Omar Garcia, Linda Hargrove, Shannon Housson, David Jacob, Jose Johnson, Richard Kallus, Spring Lee, Maureen Moore Scheevel, J. Robert Scott, Nancy Stevens, Joe Wisnoski, and staff of the Texas Education Agency print shop.

Thanks also go to the students and staff of the following schools for allowing us to use photographs of their students on the cover of the printed book: Pease Elementary School and Porter Middle School of Austin ISD; North Oaks Elementary School of Round Rock ISD; and Lake Travis High School of Lake Travis ISD.

Executive Management

Mike Moses
Commissioner of Education

Joe Neely
Deputy Commissioner for Finance and Accountability

Project Staff

Criss Cloudt
Associate Commissioner, Office of Policy Planning and Research

Cherry Kugle
Senior Director, Division of Performance Reporting

Cathy Long
Project Manager, Division of Performance Reporting

Diane Hernandez
Information Specialist III, Division of Performance Reporting

Melinda Fowler
John Haetinger
Trish Smith
Edward Tasch
Betty Weed

State Board of Education