Northeast schools rate highly.

Byline: Katherine Cromer Brock

Aug. 2--Bucking state trends, every school in Northeast Tarrant County was rated academically acceptable or higher in school accountability ratings released Wednesday by the Texas Education Agency.

The Carroll school district was rated exemplary; it is the largest of 27 Texas districts and charter schools that achieved the state's highest rating.

But a record number of Texas schools received the lowest rating of academically unacceptable. Of 8,061 schools in the state, 301 were rated unacceptable, up from 286 last year.

Fifteen Fort Worth schools received the lowest rating, including five high schools. Polytechnic High School was rated unacceptable for the third year in a row. If it continues to be rated low, it faces added scrutiny from the state and possible closure.

Ratings are based largely on student performance on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills and the State Developed Alternative Assessment II, a test for students with special needs. Dropout and completion rates are also factored in.

Hundreds of Texas schools dropped in the ratings because of tougher math and science standards. The required TAKS passing rates increase every year in the Texas accountability system.

"Under this system, schools have to achieve steady progress to just to maintain a rating," acting Education Commissioner Robert Scott said in a statement.

On the other end of the scale, there was also an increase in exemplary ratings.

Statewide, 7.9 percent of schools -- 637 -- earned an exemplary rating, up from 564 schools last year.

Twenty-nine percent of schools are rated recognized.

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