Clear Creek ISD earns higher 2025 state accountability ratings after successful appeal | Houston Public Media

Clear Creek ISD received new, higher state accountability ratings for 2025 after proving there were data errors related to the district’s college readiness indicators, according to a Dec. 15 district news release.

Preliminary ratings for both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years were released to districts back in August. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) released its updated accountability ratings on Dec. 11 after hearing appeals from school districts around the state.

Clear Creek ISD initially had lower ratings, but those changed when TEA granted an appeal after the district proved there were data errors in its 2023-24 Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) submission to the state, which involves data including student demographic and academic performance, personnel, financial and organizational information.

The errors were related to college, career and military readiness indicators, according to the district.

Clear Creek ISD was able to show that the state undercounted almost 2,000 students who had completed college prep courses, according to the Galveston County Daily News.

The appeal resulted in improved scores for six of its high schools and higher ratings for the district as a whole, with three high schools improving to an ‘A’ rating.

Below are the updated 2025 accountability ratings after the appeal:

• Clear Creek ISD district overall moved from an 86 to an 88
• Clear Brook High School moved from an 85 to a 90
• Clear Creek High School moved from an 85 to an 89
• Clear Falls High School moved from an 84 to a 92
• Clear Lake High School moved from a 91 to a 95
• Clear Springs High School moved from a 91 to a 94
• Clear View High School moved from an 83 to a 92

“We appreciate TEA’s thorough review and recognition of the corrected data, which more accurately represents the achievements of our students and staff,” Clear Creek ISD Superintendent Karen Engle said in the release.

TEA’s accountability ratings measure student achievement, academic growth, as well as college and career readiness by looking at factors like the State Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) and how well students are prepared for life after graduation.

Those ratings have ripple effects on a community, as they can influence how many families choose to move to a district.

TEA has previously faced legal challenges when it comes to accountability ratings. The release of the 2023-24 accountability ratings was delayed after multiple school districts sued the TEA, arguing the agency’s new rating system unfairly moved the goal post on factors like college and career readiness, according to previous Houston Public Media reporting. Ultimately, a state appeals court ruled the ratings could be released in August.