Texas public schools at a glance: TEA ratings, districts and what to check before enrolling

This guide is for Korean parents and students who are starting to look at Texas public schools. After reading, you should understand what the TEA's A-F ratings are based on, what to keep in mind when reading them, and what to ask a district. The system may feel unfamiliar at first, but it is not hard to follow step by step.

1. How TEA ratings are built

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) gives schools and districts A-F ratings. According to TEA guidance (as of 29 October 2026), the ratings are based on three domains: Student Achievement, School Progress and Closing the Gaps. The method is set out in a yearly accountability manual, and parents can look up school and district ratings on TXschools.gov.

The first thing to remember is the year. For example, if you jot down ratings for three candidate schools but not which year they come from, you cannot compare them later. TEA also says to note the rating year.

2. Do not judge a school by one grade

A rating is one window onto a school. Official materials from other places show this clearly. California uses a dashboard with five colours per indicator instead of an overall grade, and New Zealand's Education Review Office (ERO) also makes judgements by area rather than giving one overall grade. Australia's ACARA states that My School has no league tables, says test results are only part of school performance, and suggests visiting schools and talking with teachers and principals. This guide does not rank Texas schools either.

One more point about numbers of Koreans. The Overseas Koreans Agency's 'Overseas Koreans 2025' (as of 31 December 2024) estimates 118,884 overseas Koreans in the Consulate General in Houston's area (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi) and 64,310 in the Consular Office in Dallas's area (Texas DFW). These are totals for whole consular areas. They are not the number or share of Koreans in any school district, so please do not use them to choose a district.

3. Enrolment happens through the district

TEA's 'Enrollment in Public School' page (dated 31 July 2026) says a parent, guardian or other person standing in a parental relation may enrol a child. The child may attend the district where they live or choose another public option such as a charter school. Enrolment is handled locally by districts and campuses, and districts set attendance zones, so the district's own instructions come first for documents and timing.

The Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) summary (as of 4 November 2026, a guide) says that a student who is at least 5 and under 21 on 1 September of the school year and meets the residency criteria is entitled to enrol in the district. The documents are identification, records from the school most recently attended (if applicable) and immunization records. A district should not deny enrolment solely because identity or prior-school records are missing, and the parent or guardian must provide them within 30 days. Districts cannot exclude a student solely because of citizenship or immigration status, and schools are advised not to ask. TASB is an association of school boards, so confirm specific cases with the district.

4. Prepare vaccine records early

The Texas Department of State Health Services' 2026-2027 minimum vaccine requirements for grades K-12 (revised February 2026) list DTaP (or Td/Tdap), polio, MMR, hepatitis B, varicella and hepatitis A, plus meningococcal (MCV4) for grades 7-12. Records validated by a physician or public health official, including official records from another state or country, are accepted.

A student with at least one dose of each age-appropriate vaccine and no overdue doses may enrol provisionally and complete the rest on schedule. Missing a due dose leads to exclusion, so keep the schedule handy. Check exact dose counts and exemptions with the district's health staff.

5. English-learner procedures have changed

If your child is not a native English speaker, note TEA's TAA letter of 16 July 2026. Starting with the 2026-27 school year, American Sign Language on a home language survey no longer by itself starts the emergent bilingual (EB) identification process. A student who was EB in Texas, left the state and returned after more than 12 months will have their Texas and out-of-state records reviewed by the LPAC. Where parents previously declined programme participation, the district informs them of the bilingual or ESL programmes available. Parental approval is no longer required to reclassify a student who has met the criteria, though parents must be notified. The letter sets no new deadlines and says amendments to the related rules are expected, so confirm district-level procedures with the district where you enrol.

Sam's one-line tip

When you write down a school's rating, always add the year, and next to it a one-line question to ask the district.

Checklist

• I noted the ratings and years of my candidate schools and districts on TXschools.gov.
• I treat ratings as a reference only and have set up a visit or a conversation.
• I found the enrolment page of the district I am considering.
• I checked that my proof of residency (lease, utility bill, etc.) fits the way the district asks for it.
• I prepared my child's identity documents and prior-school records.
• I checked that the immunization records carry a physician's or health official's signature or stamp.
• If a next dose is due, I wrote down the date.

Ask the school

• Which school's attendance zone does our address belong to?
• What documents are needed for enrolment, and by when?
• How are vaccine dose counts and exemption papers handled?
• When and how are the home language survey and English assessment done?
• What bilingual or ESL programme options are available?

Your next step

Open the enrolment page of the district you are considering, download its document list, and match it item by item against what you already have at home.