Texarkana ISD Projected to Achieve Higher State Accountability Rating Amid Strategic Plan Implementation

Since the launch of the Imagine 2026 Strategic Plan, Texarkana Independent School District (TISD) has focused on addressing critical needs and unique challenges. Over the past five years, the district’s board, educators, staff members, families, and community partners have remained committed to these strategic initiatives intended to improve student outcomes.

Projections indicate that Texarkana ISD is projected to improve its overall district accountability rating by a full letter grade. Texas Middle School is also projected to make significant gains, including a more than 20-point increase in overall scale score and significant gains across several content areas.

District officials attribute the overall success to the work within the classrooms. Research by Robert Marzano indicates that the individual classroom teacher is a primary factor in student achievement. In addition, a 2021 review of education research by Kenneth Leithwood and his team found school leadership to be second only to instruction in its impact on learning. Imagine 2026 has provided the strategic framework, which TISD educators have breathed life into each day. The progress is described as a shared achievement involving students, parents, staff, and the broader community.

Strategic Milestone Plans

The observed progress stems partly from strategic investments in grant-supported programs at specific sites, including:

• Curriculum Updates: Implemented a comprehensive new math and reading curriculum aligned tightly with state standards.
   
• Leadership Development: Implemented an advanced model of instructional coaching to closely monitor and support classroom growth.
   
• Strategic Staffing: Established stipends for highly skilled teachers and increased compensation for hard-to-staff positions. 

TISD plans to expand these programs next year by introducing the new curriculum and instructional coaching model to all campuses across the district.

Growth this year has also been linked to the implementation of the following strategies at every campus:

• Targeted Technology Use: Utilized advanced learning technologies to instantly identify and address individual student learning gaps.
   
• Student-Developed Goals: Empowered students to track their own progress and build personal academic targets.

Maintaining Focus and Continuous Support

While the data indicates a positive trend, the district continues to monitor areas requiring further improvement. This information is being used to develop specific roadmaps for individual schools.

Imagine 2026: Long-Term Foundations

Beyond immediate gains, the Imagine 2026 plan has introduced long-term structural improvements designed to benefit students in ways that will have a growing and positive impact on academic achievement in years to come.

• Expanded Early Childhood Access: Since the opening of the Paul Laurence Dunbar Early Education Center last fall, all eligible three- and four-year-olds in the community have access to early learning foundations to prepare for Kindergarten.
   
• Advanced Future Readiness: The district’s CCMR score is projected to be above the state average, with further growth expected in the coming years. Parks Elementary, which opened in August 2025, serves as a CTE-themed campus. Additional CTE courses have been added at Texas Middle School. Furthermore, the new Career and Technical Education Center at Texas High provides industry-standard facilities and certification opportunities.
   
• Accelerated Academic Achievement: This year, 49 Texas High School students earned associate degrees, representing 14% of the graduating class. This reflects a tenfold increase since the 2020-21 school year.
   
• Compounding Generational Success: These broad solutions guarantee that future cohorts enter the testing grades better prepared, while older students graduate with distinct competitive advantages.

Moving Forward

The projected scores suggest that the practices established under the Imagine 2026 Strategic Plan are effective. District leadership and staff have expressed a commitment to closing remaining achievement gaps and refining instructional strategies to ensure all students reach their academic potential.