Students with commended TAKS scores

What does this indicator measure?

This indicator provides the percentages of students in Dallas area school districts achieving scores that meet the Commended level on the TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) test, as set by the State Board of Education. The Commended level has been set at a scale score of 2400 for all tests and grade levels. For the Spring 2006 administration of the TAKS tests, the Commended performance level corresponded to between 85% and 94% of questions answered correctly, depending on the particular test.

There was no phase-in period for the performance standards associated with the Commended designation, as there was for the Met Standard (passing) level. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) began reporting Commended status in 2002–03, when the TAKS replaced the TAAS (Texas Assessment of Academic Skills). Grade 8 Science, a newly-instituted TAKS test, was not included in the TEA statistics on Commended students for the 2005-06 school year.

Why is this indicator important?
While it is important to measure how many students are passing the TAKS test, it may be more beneficial to examine how many students are achieving scores above the basic Met Standard level. As of the 2006 TAKS test, the "passing" Standard was between 55% and 78% of questions answered correctly, depending on the particular test. On most tests, the passing Standard was in the 60s. Advocates have questioned whether students who pass the TAKS, but score only slightly above the Standard, can truly be said to have mastered the basic skills expected at each grade level. If school districts aim to increase the numbers of students entering postsecondary educational programs, then measuring the numbers of students scoring at the Commended level on the TAKS is a viable tool for evaluating how well they are preparing their students for further education.

How are we doing?

ALL TESTS
Between 2002–03 and 2005–06, all districts maintained or increased the percentage of their students who scored at the Commended level on all TAKS tests every year during the time period, with only one minor exception. The total increase in the percentage of students achieving Commended status on all tests over the 4 academic years ranged from 3 percentage points (Irving ISD) to 16 percentage points (McKinney ISD). The state average rose 6 percentage points, from 5% to 11%. Of the 13 districts studied, 8 districts had a higher percentage of Commended students than the state average in 2005–06. Dallas ISD had the lowest percentage at 6%, followed by Irving and Grand Prairie ISDs (7%) and Mesquite ISD (9%).

Percentage of Students with Commended TAKS Scores on All Tests
	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06
Dallas ISD	2%	4%	5%	6%
Garland ISD	5%	8%	10%	10%
Plano ISD	14%	18%	25%	26%
Lewisville ISD	8%	12%	17%	18%
Mesquite ISD	5%	7%	10%	9%
Richardson ISD	9%	12%	17%	20%
Irving ISD	4%	5%	6%	7%
Carrollton-FB ISD	7%	10%	14%	14%
Grand Prairie ISD	3%	5%	7%	7%
Frisco ISD	11%	17%	24%	24%
McKinney ISD	12%	20%	25%	28%
Denton ISD	5%	9%	11%	12%
Allen ISD	11%	16%	21%	22%
Texas	5%	8%	10%	11%

Source: Texas Education Agency, AEIS Reports, 1999–2005, compiled by Dallas Indicators.

READING / ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS (ELA)
The percentage of students scoring at the Commended level on the Reading/ELA TAKS test increased considerably in all major area school districts over the 4 years under study. The total increase in the percentage of students earning Commended status in Reading/ELA between 2002–03 and 2005–06 ranged from 8 percentage points (Dallas, Mesquite, Irving, Grand Prairie ISDs) to 17 percentage points (McKinney ISD). The state average rose 11 percentage points, from 16% to 27%. Of the 13 school districts studied, 9 had rates equal to or above the state average in 2005–06. Dallas ISD had the lowest percentage at 16%, followed by Grand Prairie ISD (19%) and Irving ISD (21%).

Note: In 2003–04, English Language Arts and Reading were combined, and the percentages for 2002–03 recalculated; the recalculations are reported here.

Percentage of Students with Commended TAKS Scores on Reading/ELA
	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06
Dallas ISD	8%	12%	14%	16%
Garland ISD	17%	21%	25%	27%
Plano ISD	32%	35%	46%	45%
Lewisville ISD	27%	31%	39%	40%
Mesquite ISD	17%	21%	26%	25%
Richardson ISD	25%	25%	33%	36%
Irving ISD	13%	15%	19%	21%
Carrollton-FB ISD	21%	24%	30%	30%
Grand Prairie ISD	11%	15%	18%	19%
Frisco ISD	31%	36%	46%	46%
McKinney ISD	30%	37%	44%	47%
Denton ISD	19%	24%	28%	30%
Allen ISD	30%	35%	43%	45%
Texas	16%	20%	25%	27%

Source: Texas Education Agency, AEIS Reports, 1999–2005, compiled by Dallas Indicators.

MATHEMATICS
Between 2002–03 and 2005–06, all school districts studied showed a consistent increase each year in the percentage of students earning Commended status in Mathematics. The total increase over the 4 academic years ranged from 5 percentage points (Grand Prairie ISD) to 20 percentage points (McKinney ISD). The state average rose 11 percentage points, from 12% to 23%. Of the 13 districts studied, 8 had percentages equal to or above the state average in 2005–06. Irving ISD had the lowest percentage at 16%, followed by Dallas ISD (17%) and Grand Prairie ISD (18%).

Percentage of Students with Commended TAKS Scores on Mathematics
	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06
Dallas ISD	7%	11%	13%	17%
Garland ISD	13%	18%	20%	22%
Plano ISD	31%	39%	43%	45%
Lewisville ISD	20%	26%	31%	33%
Mesquite ISD	13%	16%	19%	20%
Richardson ISD	20%	27%	34%	37%
Irving ISD	11%	14%	15%	16%
Carrollton-FB ISD	17%	22%	27%	29%
Grand Prairie ISD	11%	14%	15%	18%
Frisco ISD	25%	33%	40%	42%
McKinney ISD	27%	38%	43%	47%
Denton ISD	13%	19%	21%	23%
Allen ISD	22%	30%	36%	39%
Texas	12%	17%	20%	23%

Source: Texas Education Agency, AEIS Reports, 1999–2005, compiled by Dallas Indicators.

WRITING
The percentage of students scoring at the Commended level on the Writing TAKS test increased considerably in all major area school districts over the 4 years under study. The increases ranged from 12 percentage points (Dallas ISD) to 26 percentage points (Frisco ISD). The state average rose 17 percentage points, from 13% to 30% to tie with the Social Studies test as having the highest statewide percentage of students scoring at the Commended level. Of the 13 school districts studied, 8 had rates higher than the state average in 2005–06. Dallas ISD had the lowest percentage at 17%, followed by Grand Prairie ISD (21%) and Irving ISD (23%).

Percentage of Students with Commended TAKS Scores on Writing
	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06
Dallas ISD	5%	11%	15%	17%
Garland ISD	13%	23%	28%	29%
Plano ISD	26%	39%	45%	51%
Lewisville ISD	22%	36%	44%	43%
Mesquite ISD	14%	24%	27%	29%
Richardson ISD	20%	27%	33%	36%
Irving ISD	10%	18%	22%	23%
Carrollton-FB ISD	18%	29%	33%	33%
Grand Prairie ISD	8%	13%	22%	21%
Frisco ISD	21%	37%	44%	47%
McKinney ISD	25%	40%	43%	49%
Denton ISD	15%	27%	31%	32%
Allen ISD	26%	43%	44%	50%
Texas	13%	22%	26%	30%

Source: Texas Education Agency, AEIS Reports, 1999–2005, compiled by Dallas Indicators.

SCIENCE
Between 2002–03 and 2005–06, all districts maintained or increased the percentage of their students who scored at the Commended level on the Science TAKS test every year during the time period, with only one minor exception. The increases ranged from 8 percentage points (Dallas and Irving ISDs) to 27 percentage points (McKinney ISD). The state average rose 13 percentage points, from 3% to 16%, making it the test with the lowest percentage of Texas students achieving Commended status. Of the 13 school districts studied, 7 had a higher percentage of Commended students on the Science test than the state average in 2005–06. Dallas and Irving ISDs had the lowest percentage at 9%, followed by Grand Prairie ISD (10%) and Mesquite ISD (11%).

Percentage of Students with Commended TAKS Scores on Science
	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06
Dallas ISD	1%	5%	8%	9%
Garland ISD	4%	9%	14%	15%
Plano ISD	9%	19%	26%	33%
Lewisville ISD	4%	13%	22%	22%
Mesquite ISD	2%	6%	11%	11%
Richardson ISD	6%	13%	23%	30%
Irving ISD	1%	4%	7%	9%
Carrollton-FB ISD	4%	11%	18%	21%
Grand Prairie ISD	1%	6%	10%	10%
Frisco ISD	5%	17%	28%	28%
McKinney ISD	5%	18%	28%	32%
Denton ISD	3%	11%	18%	15%
Allen ISD	7%	17%	22%	26%
Texas	3%	9%	14%	16%

Source: Texas Education Agency, AEIS Reports, 1999–2005, compiled by Dallas Indicators.

SOCIAL STUDIES
Between 2002–03 and 2005–06, all school districts studied showed a consistent increase each year in the percentage of students earning Commended status in Social Studies. The total increase over the 4 academic years ranged from 13 percentage points (Dallas and Grand Prairie ISDs) to 29 percentage points (McKinney ISD). The state average rose 17 percentage points, from 13% to 30%. Of the 13 districts studied, 9 had higher percentages of students scoring at the Commended level on the Social Studies test than the state average in 2005–06. Dallas ISD had the lowest percentage at 19%, followed by Grand Prairie ISD (23%) and Mesquite and Irving ISDs (27%).

Percentage of Students with Commended TAKS Scores on Social Studies
	2002–03	2003–04	2004–05	2005–06
Dallas ISD	6%	12%	16%	19%
Garland ISD	17%	24%	30%	34%
Plano ISD	36%	48%	56%	64%
Lewisville ISD	23%	32%	39%	44%
Mesquite ISD	12%	19%	25%	27%
Richardson ISD	28%	35%	39%	45%
Irving ISD	10%	18%	22%	27%
Carrollton-FB ISD	22%	29%	37%	39%
Grand Prairie ISD	10%	17%	20%	23%
Frisco ISD	28%	39%	50%	54%
McKinney ISD	25%	38%	48%	54%
Denton ISD	15%	22%	27%	33%
Allen ISD	28%	38%	48%	55%
Texas	13%	21%	26%	30%

Source: Texas Education Agency (TEA), AEIS Reports, 1999–2005, compiled by Dallas Indicators.

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