The 2026 Accountability Ratings for Texas’ government school districts and campuses show that a majority of schools have met the state’s minimum standard for academic performance.
The Texas Education Agency reports that of Texas’ 1,202 districts and 9,105 campuses rated, 24 percent “increased in rating compared to 2025.” More than 580 campuses improved from below an “A” rating to an “A” rating. Statewide, 85 percent of campuses achieved an “acceptable” rating—defined as a “C” or higher.
In 2025, 80 percent of campuses achieved an “acceptable” rating.
Texas lawmakers established the A-F accountability ratings to provide “clear and consistent information on how schools are performing in three key areas: Student Achievement, School Progress and Closing the Gaps.”
TEA commissioner Mike Morath said that this year’s ratings “illustrate the progress Texas public schools are making and acknowledge the hard work of our educators” all while showing areas of improvement.
“Through our commitment to transparency and accessibility, parents and the public can explore the ratings and associated resources to clearly understand the performance of their schools,” said Morath.
Matthew McCormick, education director at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, told Texas Scorecard that the newly released ratings are encouraging “with improvement almost across the board” and show what’s possible when “districts listen to the needs of their students and prioritize instruction.”
“More work is needed, though, as close to half of Texas students fail to meet grade level standards across all grades and subjects,” said McCormick. “Texas should continue to insist on high standards for accountability ratings and resist calls to water the accountability system down with non-academic factors. Parents deserve to know how well their local school is performing and whether their student is receiving a quality education.”
The ratings also carry consequences for failing campuses and districts.
If a school campus receives a failing grade for five consecutive years, under Texas law the TEA commissioner can either close down the failing campus or take over the entire district.
Two Austin Independent School District middle schools, for the fifth consecutive time, have received a failing rating.
Austin ISD is now facing a possible state takeover.
According to local news outlet KVUE, the TEA rejected the district’s proposed turnaround plans earlier this year for its three failing campuses: Burnet, Webb and Dobie.
In a statement, AISD reported that the number of campuses receiving “A” and “B” ratings increased by 42 percent from 2024. The district also saw a 35 percent decrease in campuses with “D” and “F” ratings.
Of the 114 campuses rated, 11 received a “D” and 20 received an “F.”
Texans can view the newly released ratings at TXschools.gov, which also offers tools for comparing campuses and districts and exploring trends at a local level.
