Madisonville CISD starts school year with ‘A’ district rating

MADISONVILLE, Texas (KBTX) - Madisonville CISD has started the new school year on a high. The district scored an “A” district rating from the Texas Education Agency for the 2021-2022 school year. This is the first time in three years the TEA has released scores.

The scores are based on factors like STAAR test results and overall school performance. Madisonville CISD Superintendent Keith Smith said teachers deserve a lot of credit for the rating.

“That data will kind of guide us as to how we will approach this coming year,” Smith said.

Assistant Superintendent Keith West said state tests like the STAAR assessment will now be 100% digital, so the district is working to make sure students are prepared for success this school year.

“We certainly think a lot more goes into being a successful school than just those test scores, but at the same time, those are targets that the state sets, those are targets that we have to be responsive to, and we’re always looking for ways to improve,” West said.

One factor that has been improved coming into the school year is safety. The district has added more police officers to its CISD police department, so there will now be one school resource officer at every Madisonville CISD campus. Double passthrough doors will also be installed on every campus.

Along with safety preparations, teachers and administrators have worked throughout the summer to ensure a successful school year. Madisonville Intermediate School principal Tawnya Nail said teachers have participated in workshops like the Texas Reading Academy to learn techniques to guide young readers. Madisonville Elementary School principal Rhodena Brooks said producing strong readers is also a goal for her and her teachers this school year.

“I would like at the end of the school year for my students to be proficient readers and problem solvers because when they can do that, they can do anything and they’re ready for the world,” Brooks said.

For Madisonville Junior High School principal Rhonda Morgan and Madisonville High School principal Heath Brown, it’s all about preparing their students for the next level. Morgan said her students are preparing for high school through courses like principals of construction, investigating skills and digital communications of the 21st Century. Brown said his students are able to prepare for life beyond high school with programs like automotive technology and culinary arts.

“These programs are continuing to grow, and our students are all really excited to be able to be in these programs,” Brown said.

Copyright 2022 KBTX. All rights reserved.