Annual improvement also factors into the final rating. Ratings for alternative schools are based on goals that usually differ from the general accountability standards. Those that met the goals were designated acceptable, and those that didn't will be reviewed further. Charter schools, operated independently of public systems but still subject to TEA oversight, are not rated in their first year of operation. The SAT, usually taken by college-bound high school students, is used by universities nationwide as a primary means of evaluating applicants.
Scores given are the average total on the test, which is divided into math and verbal sections.
A perfect score is 1,600. Some came from individual schools or districts. Certain alternative schools and programs operated for districts by private contractors are not included in the listings because the test scores of their students, who usually are in attendance for relatively short periods, are reported by other schools. The accountability system does not cover private schools. Back to top More data available on the TEA Web site.