Texas Comptroller Susan Combs recently announced the 2013 Texas Honors Circle. This award recognizes school districts and campuses that have achieved significant student academic growth while keeping spending relatively low.
Campuses honored in Henderson County included:
- Cross Roads Junior High School
- Murchison Elementary School
Each Texas public and charter school campus receives a Financial Allocation Study for Texas (FAST) rating from one to five stars. Each campus’s FAST rating is determined by taking the average of the district’s composite academic progress percentile and its spending index. The Texas Honors Circle recognizes campuses that have achieved superior student academic growth while keeping spending low.
To achieve Texas Honors Circle designation, an elementary school must have a five-star FAST rating, while middle and high schools must attain a rating of at least 4.5 stars.
Middle and high schools have a slightly lower threshold because they are less likely than elementary schools to achieve high academic progress scores.