To the Administrator Addressed (TAA) Correspondence

Proposed Accountability System Manual for 2026

The purpose of this communication is to inform school districts and open-enrollment charter schools (school systems) about the publication of the proposed A–F Accountability Rating System Manual for 2026 accountability ratings. 

A-F Accountability 

The Texas A–F accountability system is a tool to help school systems continuously improve student performance to achieve the goals of eliminating achievement gaps based on race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status and ensuring Texas is a national leader in preparing students for postsecondary success.  

In the 2022–23 school year, the A–F system was refreshed, and improvements were made to cut points, to domain and indicator methodology, and to the overall system. One of the design commitments of A–F is that the system maintains, to the extent possible, the same calculations and cut scores for up to five consecutive years without annual changes allowing for better year-over-year performance comparisons. 

2026 A-F Ratings Methodology Previously Adopted 

The previously adopted A–F Accountability System Manual included early communication of changes impacting future accountability cycles to ensure the manual would remain relevant for multiple cycles. The following rules for the 2026 accountability year that have been previously adopted include the following.

  • Programs of Study and Industry-Based Certification (IBC) Alignment: College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) credit will be earned on 2026 accountability for earning an approved IBC from the 2022–25 IBC List. IBCs in CCMR will also require a CTE Concentrator status in a career and technical education program of study aligned with that IBC. The IBC Lists for Public School Accountability and the IBC to Program of Study Crosswalks are on the Industry-Based Certifications website. The Program of Study framework documents and Frequently Asked Questions are available on the Programs of Study website. 
  • College Preparatory Course Requirements: College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) credit will be earned on 2026 accountability for those courses meeting requirements aligned between districts and the partnering IHEs taken by students who were in their 11th or 12th grade year. 2025 graduates will receive CCMR credit for courses taken in 11th grade (SY23–24) or 12th grade (SY24–25) on 2026 accountability. *Starting with 2026 graduates, courses must be taken in 12th grade from the approved course list to be eligible for CCMR credit on 2027 accountability.

2026 A-F Ratings Methodology Updates

The proposed manual includes updates to improve clarity and understanding based on stakeholder feedback. In addition, two changes that were planned for and announced during the 2023 refresh can now be implemented because of new data availability. These changes have been announced with a year of advanced notice to be implemented in the 2026 accountability year.

  • Military enlistment data are now available from the Department of Defense for the CCMR military-readiness indicator with no proposed changes to cut points. A December 2024 To The Administrator Correspondence announced this data agreement.
  • TELPAS composite progress data are now available to update the methodology and targets for the Progress to English Language Proficiency (ELP) indicator in the Closing the Gaps domain. The methodology and targets were open for public comment on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) webpage.

Additionally, as the Results-Driven Accountability (RDA) system is not yet fully integrated into A–F, the following changes are proposed for 2026 Results-Driven Accountability.

  • In prior accountability years, RDA Performance Level (PL) mean cut points were based on the data from the current accountability year. For 2026, they have been frozen based on 2021–2024 data with 2022 and 2023 data given higher weight than 2021 and 2024.
  • In accordance with Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §89.1203, “Alternative Language Program” has changed to “Alternative Methods,” and RDA indicators will reflect the name change.
  • The Determination Levels (DLs) methodology for the Special Education Program Area was revised to remove DL4 (Needs Substantial Intervention) as a one-year calculation outcome.
  • The 2026 RDA PL mean cut points for the “TELPAS Reading Beginning Proficiency Level Rate” indicator will be reviewed in 2025.

Rulemaking and Public Comment

The proposed A–F Accountability System Manual for 2026 ratings has been published on the 2026 Accountability Manual webpage. The proposed rule will be published in the Texas Register on April 17th followed by a 30-day period to gather public comments. Details on the public comment period and how to submit comments can be found on the Proposed Commissioner of Education Rules webpage. Additional explanatory materials and resources, including Proposed 2026 Manual Updates documentation are available on the 2026 Accountability Rating System webpage.

Contact Information 

For any questions about the proposed A–F Accountability System Manual for 2026 ratings, please contact the Performance Reporting Division at (512) 750-2816 or email performance.reporting@tea.texas.gov.