Parents in Dallas now can see how their children’s schools scored on the state’s academic accountability system – two years delayed.

The Texas Education Agency published the 2023 A-F grades on Thursday, after state officials triumphed in a long-running lawsuit that attempted to block the ratings.

Education Commissioner Mike Morath conceded that because the information is years old, parents will want to wait until August’s release to get a true sense of how their campuses are performing.

Overall, Dallas ISD scored a C, down from a B in 2022. Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde predicted this outcome, in part because the scores were based on a revised – and in some ways tougher – formula.

Forty-seven Dallas schools earned an A. Another 74 scored a B, 66 got Cs and 37 earned Ds.

Eight campuses received Fs. Failing campus grades can trigger significant consequences if the school doesn’t improve quickly, including a state takeover.

The state’s A-F grades are based largely on standardized test scores. The formula takes into account three categories for the grades: student achievement, school progress and closing the gaps.

“Student achievement” considers how children performed on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, tests. For high schools, it also weighs graduation rates and other metrics.

“School progress” factors in how much improvement students made year over year or how well they did in relation to comparable campuses.

“Closing the gaps” looks at how schools educate children in different groups, such as those living in poverty or receiving special education services.

Seventy percent of the grade is based on either student achievement or school progress — whichever is the higher grade — while closing the gaps makes up 30%.

The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.

The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, Judy and Jim Gibbs, The Meadows Foundation, The Murrell Foundation, Ron and Phyllis Steinhart, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sydney Smith Hicks, and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.

Talia is a reporter for The Dallas Morning News Education Lab. A Dallas native, she attended Richardson High School and graduated from the University of Maryland. She previously covered schools and City Hall for The Baltimore Sun.

Mel produces data-driven stories using charts, maps and more. Before joining The Dallas Morning News in 2023, she was a digital producer for the South region of the USA TODAY Network. Mel is an alumna of the New York Times Student Journalism Institute, Dow Jones News Fund, ProPublica Data Institute and Indiana University Media School.