001Thank you for joining us today for this presentation of the 2025 resultsdriven accountability or RDA framework determination and monitoring overview. The RDA framework discussed in this presentation include the RDA chapter of the TEA accountability manual, the RDA confidential and subsequent public LEA reports, calculated determination level assignments for the three included program areas, and continuous improvement engagement activities based on those determination levels. The graphic icon identifiers here are included throughout to identify component information as we proceed. We will begin with the RDA chapter of the TEA accountability manual and legal authority. The 2025 accountability manual containing the RDA chapter was adopted into commissioner rule 97.10. 10001 in the Texas Administrative Code on May 14th, 2025. The 2025 accountability manual can be found on the TEA's 2025 accountability manual web page indicated on this slide. This RDA
002webinar recording can be found on the TEA's RDA web page, also indicated on this slide. There were a few changes to the RDA chapter for 2025. These changes are also referenced on page 116 of the RDA chapter of the accountability manual and details about these indicators can be found on pages through 264 of appendix K. There were several important updates to the RDA chapter for 2025. These are summarized on this slide and detailed in chapter 12 of the accountability manual with specific indicator information in appendix K. First, some indicators moved from report only to performance level assignment, including the TPASS composite rating levels for EB students and two new sped discipline indicators, OSS and expulsion over 10 days and ISS over 10 days. Second, the hold harmless provision was removed for certain OSP indicators. Third,
003several indicators were removed from RDA reporting, including all dyslexia related indicators for EB, OSP, and SPED, as well as the SPED star alternate 2 participation rate, which is now reported on TEA's federal report card. Next, in compliance with House Bill 6 from the 89th legislature in 2025, three sped discipline indicators, OSS and expulsion over 10 days, ISS over 10 days, and total disciplinary removals will no longer factor into PL mean or determination level calculations. These indicators will still be reported forformational purposes only, ensuring alignment with the Texas Education Code 37.0. 028. For full details, refer to the TIA letter posted on July 17th of 2025. To align with these changes for the 2025 RDA chapter and appendix K, the indicator have been renumbered from their prior 2024 RDA chapter and appendix K. Moving on, we
004will now discuss RDA data reports and diagnostics. confidential reports were released to LEAs on Thursday, September 18th, 2025 within the teal accountability application. RDA public reports were released on November 13th, 2025. The three RDA program areas are color formatted with a summary section. Reports include three years of available data with current year performance level cut points when available. Rates are calculated based on dividing the numerator by the denominator included in the report. And performance levels or PLS are assignments based on rates that are displayed for all applicable indicators. Special education determinations include four additional performance levels or PLS from the federally required elements or FREES. These four elements are required to be included in the special education program determinations. Data contained in the RDALA reports inform the monitoring diagnostic frameworks for each of the included
005program areas. Data contained in the RDAL LEA reports inform the monitoring diagnostic framework for each of the included program areas. I want to share framework information regarding the bilingual ESL diagnostic framework that is seen in this slide. In accordance with the policy of the state, the agency should evaluate the effectiveness of bilingual ESL programs. The identified program areas are essential to the analysis of the effectiveness of eight critical indicators of student achievement within the monitoring framework seen here. They are participation, program model, program and elves implementation, program evaluations, ELPAC, state assessment, parent involvement, and state development and training. This diagnostic framework supports the TEA and ELEAS in developing differentiated support activities to promote program effectiveness and continuous improvement of achievement indicators for emerging bilingual students in Texas. This diagnostic framework supports the TEA and local
006education agencies in analyzing and responding to different complex information about program implementation, student outcomes, and family engagement. The framework supports continuous improvement of student outcomes by connecting instruction, student performance, professional development, and technical assistance. The system of general supervision incorporates the TA commitment to continuous improvement, transparency, and accountability in a way that emphasizes the connection between general supervision activities and improve student services and outcomes. Monitoring activities for this school year will be aligned to continuous improvement activities that are directly aligned to determination levels identified through bilingual ESL performance level indicators. The other RDA combined student group monitor by the special population monitoring group is other special populations or OSP. The OSP groups include students in foster care, students experiencing homelessness or McKenna, and military connected students. In accordance with the results driven accountability framework, OSP
007reporting includes indicators that are used to measure and ensure the academic success of students identified as part of other special populations in an LEA in Texas. This diagnostic framework supports the TEA and ELEAS in developing differentiated support activities to promote program effectiveness and continuous improvement of achievement indicators for students identified under the umbrella of other special populations in Texas. The system of general supervision incorporates the TA commitment to continuous improvement, transparency, and accountability in a way that emphasizes the connection between general supervision activities and improve student services and outcomes. Monitoring activities for this school year will be aligned to continuous improvement activities directly aligned to determination levels identified through OSP performance level indicators. TEA's SPED framework includes a system of general supervision that emphasizes a datadriven systematic approach to compliance and improvement of outcomes consistent
008with the federal intent for students with disabilities served in special education. In collaboration with stakeholders, the TEA engaged in an analysis protocol to revise and refine the system of general supervision. As a result, the TEA developed a diagnostic framework that concentrates general supervision activities in three domains. Those are implementation, student outcomes, and family engagement. With regard to special education, these three domains are essential to addressing seven identified critical areas of compliance found in the state. Those seven areas include properly constituted AR committees, evaluation, IEP content, IEP development, IEP implementation, state assessment, and transition. That said, TEA does not exclude other compliance requirements of IDEIDA not seen here in their comprehensive monitoring efforts. Definitions and additional information are found in the division of review and support differentiated monitoring and support guide located on the TEA review
009and support website for all programs. Let's talk now about the RDA determinations derived from the performance levels or PLS. This slide reviews RDA determination values and determination levels or DLS. ELEAs who obtain a DL1 meets requirements generally demonstrate successful self-monitoring, high levels of compliance with state and federal regulations, positive outcomes for students, and effective use of professional development resources. ELEAs who meet RDA requirements have access to universal supports to engage in an ongoing continuous improvement process related to all program areas within RDA. ELEAS who obtain a DL1 and meet requirements retain continuous improvement plans at the local level. ELEAs who obtain a DL2 needs assistance have one or more areas of moderate need as demonstrated through RDA indicators. After identifying areas of strength and needs who obtain a DL2 in the sped program area will
010retain the SSP at the local level. The SSP will outline the ELEA's plan for continuous improvement utilizing universal supports and may include engagement with ESC liaison and activities and interventions to address improvement efforts. Eleas who obtain a DL3 needs intervention have either one area of intense need and or multiple areas of moderate need as demonstrated through the RDA framework. Areas of improvement are identified through the RDA indicators and LEA self assessment identifying the LEA's need for a universal and targeted support. Eleas who obtain a DL3 related to the be ESL EB or OSP programs will complete a self assessment in these areas to inform their continuous improvement efforts. After identifying areas of strength and need, eleas who obtain a DL3 in the BE, ESL, EB, or OSP programs receive TEA assistance to develop a strategic
011support plan that prioritizes continuous improvement efforts and participate in bimonthly collaboration with TEA monitoring staff to monitor progress towards strategic support plan goals. DL3As receive assistance from the other special populations monitoring staff regarding targeted supports designed to address LEA prioritized areas of need and are directed to targeted supports. After identifying areas of strength and needs, eleas with a DL3 rating in the sped program will develop an SSP that prioritizes continuous improvement efforts and submit the plan to tea using the ascend application in teal. The LEA and the ESC liaison will participate in an initial midpoint and endofear conference with the tea monitoring review and support team. ELEAs will engage with ESC liaison in monthly work sessions to identify and implement SSP related activities. The LEA will receive assistance from the TEA monitoring, review and support
012team and the ESC liaison regarding targeted supports designed to address prioritized areas of need. ELEAs who obtain a DL4 need substantial intervention may have one or more areas of intensive need demonstrated through indicators. Areas of improvement are identified through RDA indicators, LEA self assessment and are monitoring activity results which identify the need for targeted or intensive support. ELEAs who obtain a DL4 related to the bilingual, ESL or EB or OSP programs will complete a self assessment in these areas to inform their continuous improvement efforts. Eleas who obtain a deal for NBE, ESL, EB, or OSP programs will outline activities and interventions to address improvement efforts in a strategic support plan developed by the LEA. ELAs who need substantial intervention participate in monthly collaboration with the TEA monitoring staff to monitor progress towards strategic support plan
013goals. ELEA's identified as needing substantial intervention with RDA determinations will be prescribed targeted and intensive supports and activities designed to address LEA areas of need. After identifying areas of strength and need, eleas with a DL4 rating in the sped program will develop an SSP that prioritizes continuous improvement efforts. Eleas will submit the plan to tea using the ascend application in the LEA and the ESC liaison will participate in an initial midpoint and end of the year conference with the TEA monitoring review and support team. In addition, the LEA will participate in monthly progress check-ins with the TEA monitoring, review, and support team and the ESC liaison. ELEAS with the DL4 will participate in monthly work sessions facilitated by ESC liaison targeting root cause data review, identification, and implementation of professional development and direct technical assistance.
014The LEA will receive assistance from the TEA monitoring, review, and support team and the ESC liaison regarding targeted and intensive supports designed to address the prioritized areas of need. TEA analyzes data from the RDA indicators assigned with performance levels or PLS to address LEA performance on student outcomes and compliance indicators to guide supervision and support for each LEA. Each LEA is then assigned a DL which is aligned with specific monitoring and support activities. The DLS are calculated based on an overall analysis of indicator results. For special education programs, additional federally required elements are included in the DL calculation. LEAs are expected to address the needs associated with their assigned DL of 1, 2, 3, or four and with individual data indicators that contribute to the overarching DL. RDA program area DL assignments occur in three
015steps. First, each RDA program areas indicator used in the determination process is assigned a performance level or PL. Not all RDA indicators are assigned a PL. Some are report only. Chapter 12 and appendix K of the 2025 accountability manual specify which indicators are report only and which are assigned PLS. In the first step, the PL mean is calculated where the denominator is the total number of PLS and the numerator is all the PL values added together. This results in what is called the PL mean. In the second step, we apply the 99 95 80 percentile rule to the PL mean for each program area to establish percentilebased cut points. These cut points are then associated with each DL. Percentiles are used to understand the relative standing of each LEA's PL mean score within the distribution
016of all LEA PL mean scores for that RDA program area. For example, if a PL mean score is in the 99th percentile, then it means the LEA PL mean is higher than 99% of the other scores for that program area. In the third step, we use the cut point based on an LEA's PL mean to assign DLS to each LEA's RDA program area. ELEAs in the 99th percentile are assigned a DL4 or need substantial intervention. LEAs in the 95th percentile are assigned a DL3 or needs intervention. Eleas in the 80th percentile are assigned a DL2 or needs assistance and all other LEAs are assigned a DL1 or meets requirements. to address factors like minimum size requirements, available data, and other data anomalies. The DL process considers A the number of RDA indicators on which an
017LEA is evaluated within each program area and B its PL on each indicator applicable to the program area. An LEA is a DL4 needs substantial intervention when their performance level mean value is greater than 99% of the PL mean values. An LEA is a DL3 needs intervention when their PL mean value is greater than 95% of the PL mean values. An LEA is a DL2 needs assistance because their PL mean value is greater than 80% of the PL mean values. And for an LEA that has a PL mean value at or below 80% of all PL mean values, they're assigned a DL1 meets requirements. For 66 LEAs in the BE ESL EB program area, there was no data to make a determination and therefore they are not assigned a rating in 2025. The same criteria
018applies to OSPDL assignments. LEAs assigned DL4 have PL mean values greater than 99% of the PL mean values. DL3s have PL mean values greater than 95% of the PL mean values. DL2s have PL mean values greater than 80% of the PL mean values. and DL1's meeting requirements have PL mean values at or below 80% of the PL mean values within the OSP analysis. 93 LEAs were not assigned a rating for 2025 due to no data availability. The same criteria applies to sped DL assignment. However, you may remember that four additional federally required elements are included for the overall PL mean calculation. These four elements are assigned PLS for the calculation and were reported in the final public RDA report summary on Thursday, November 13th, 2025. As with the other programs discussed today, eleas's assigned DL4
019have PL means values greater than 99% of the PL mean values. DL3s have PL mean values greater than 95% of the PL mean values. DL2s have PL mean values greater than 80% of the PL mean values. And DL1's meeting requirements have PL mean values at or below 80% of the PL mean values. All LEAs have been assigned a determination level in 2025 for the sped program area. Now let's discuss the continuous improvement intervention requirements and supports. The strategic support plan is designed to assist LEAs in addressing areas of improvement that will positively impact student outcomes associated with resultsdriven accountability determination levels. The SSP is a tool used annually as part of the LEA's continuous improvement process to prioritize essential program elements, clear timelines, milestones, metrics, and task owners. When implemented with fidelity, the SSP will
020cultivate an environment that promotes student outcomes while addressing the root causes of low performance related to RDA determination levels. The SSP is not a substitute to fulfill the requirements of the effective schools framework determined by accountability nor any targeted improvement plan required through the ESF process. The purpose of self- assessment is to assist LEA leadership teams in evaluating and improving their educational program serving students in special populations. Self- assessment requirements for bilingual ESL emerging bilingual and other special populations are based upon the LEA's determination level in the RDA framework. Please note that for DL1's and twos in the bilingual, ESL, emergent bilingual and other special populations, the self assessment is optional. The special education self assessment is completed annually by all eleas regardless of the RDA framework determination level. For more information on the 2025
0212026 sped self assessment, please visit self assessment under Texas Education Agency. Let's look at timelines and key events. Here is an overview of the key monitoring events occurring during the 2025 2026 school year. The next two slides provide next steps and resources to assist LEAs with each key monitoring event occurring during the 2025 2026 school year. Please be sure to note linked resources in the LEA next steps column. During the 202526 school year, ELEA's engaging in the strategic support plan process will develop an SSP using the support plan feature in the Ascend Texas application. When LEAs access the Ascend application, the user will be able to select the support plan feature located on their dashboard. LEA users will be able to initiate the development of a corrective action plan and or strategic support plan. Additional
022information and guidance will be provided regarding the support plan feature during the strategic support plan overview. Please ensure LEA staff who may be responsible for engaging in monitoring activities have the appropriate access to the Ascend Texas application. If access is needed, users should request access to Ascend Texas via the Texas Education Agency login or teal. Once access is requested and approved by the LEA superintendent or the superintendent's designate, the user should be able to access the ascend Texas application within the teal application. Please note access will not be granted if the user requests access using a personal email address. Let's take a look at the ascend Texas roles in teal lea approver. This role will oversee local access to the platform and approve submissions to tea. Like other teal applications, the LEA approver role functions
023as the super user who approves all aspects of the application within their respective LEA, including requests for application access within the LEA and final submissions to the TEA. LEA data entry. This role will be able to enter data into the ascend platform including the self- assessment strategic support plan and upload documentation for the desk review. This may be the district coordinator of school improvement, DCSI, special education director or other administrative staff who would enter LEA level data into the application. TEA fulledit is for TEA users who provide regular maintenance and updates to the ascend application. TEA viewer for TEA reviewers working with ELEAs to support their continuous efforts. Viewer this role is for ESC staff providing supports to LEAs for the self- assessment and other DMS components. Please note access will not be granted if
024the user requests access using a personal email address. When you first log in to the Ascend application, you will begin on your user dashboard. The user dashboard is where you can navigate to the different elements of the system to engage in monitoring activities such as the support plan process or the self assessment. Questions regarding the 2025 RDA chapter of TEA's accountability manual, applicable policies or monitoring functions and events should be directed to the office of special populations and student supports OSPS at 512-4639414 or to the emails below on the screen. Questions regarding the 2025 RDA technical processing calculations or 2025 RDA report should be directed to the Division of Performance Reporting at or by email at the email address on your screen. Thank you for joining us for the 2025 resultsdriven accountability RDA framework determinations
025and monitoring overview.