AUSTIN — The Texas Education Agency rejected Austin ISD's proposal to partner with the Texas Council for International Studies (TCIS) to operate Dobie, Webb, and Burnet middle schools under a state turnaround program authorized by SB 1882. The rejection means the three campuses, each of which received a fourth consecutive 'F' rating from the TEA last year, remain on a path toward potential state intervention if their accountability scores do not improve this year.

Austin ISD had sought approval for the SB 1882 partnership to pause state accountability ratings for the schools and provide TCIS time to demonstrate academic improvement. The Austin ISD Board of Trustees voted in March to approve TCIS as the sole bidder to operate the three campuses, submitting the application just before the March 31 deadline and providing additional information in May. In a letter, the TEA stated that TCIS "does not qualify as an operating partner with the capacity necessary to successfully turn around campuses." The agency said the nonprofit failed to demonstrate a record of turning around schools with repeated failing ratings and noted that in some cases, TCIS partnerships had produced worse academic outcomes.

According to the TEA’s letter, TCIS meets only two of three SB 1882 partnership criteria established in March 2020, lacking a track record of managing campuses to academic success or improving performance. Public records showed TCIS was the only organization to submit a bid for the three Austin schools.

"We partnered with TCIS with one clear goal in mind: ensuring that the students at Dobie, Webb and Burnet middle schools get the exceptional academic support they deserve. We remain confident in TCIS’s proven ability to lift student outcomes," Superintendent Matias Segura said.

TCIS CEO Margaret Davis said the nonprofit was honored to partner with Austin ISD but referred further questions about the TEA’s decision to the district.