Lancaster ISD outlines strategies to blunt state CCMR changes and will pilot TTEST 2 evaluations

District leaders on May 13 told Lancaster ISD trustees that upcoming state changes to College, Career and Military Readiness (CCMR) scoring will reweight indicators and could lower district CCMR percentages unless the district strategically expands dual credit, TSI readiness and higher‑tier industry certifications.

"The big major changes that are coming up is that we'll have a 5% cap on our industry based tier 3 certifications, and that ends for us…we don't have any tier 3 industry based certifications at this time," Miss Bell said, summarizing the 2026–2030 CCMR timeline and how the state is adjusting weights so that advanced indicators will count for more points.

Miss Bell also cited modeling that she said showed a potential drop in percentage points under the new system: "TEA did a study and they determined that when this occurs, that they will drop, by…about 18 percentage points; [a consultant] determined we would drop potentially by 17 percentage points." Trustees and staff said the district has been working on measures to reduce that impact, including increasing dual credit offerings, moving some TSI preparation into eighth grade and expanding career pathways.

Dr. Barker described program‑level steps: "We've increased dual credit opportunities…we will have students who graduate from the comprehensive side with an associate's [degree]," and said the district has been ramping early college and dual‑credit options to boost advanced CCMR indicators.

Trustees also heard that Lancaster ISD was selected as one of 13 districts to participate in the TTEST 2 pilot. Tatonisha Stevenson, director of classroom innovation and culture, said the pilot will streamline evaluation domains and provide appraiser training and TEA grant funding to support implementation. "Our role will be to provide honest feedback on implementation, effectiveness, workload, and overall educator experience," Stevenson said.

The board was also briefed on a request to pursue a dual credit waiver for Lancaster Early College High School to align that campus with the Dallas College academic calendar; Dr. Lacour said the waiver requires future board approval and provided a link to the dual credit waiver handbook for trustees to review.

Board discussion emphasized budget and staffing implications for pursuing higher‑tier certifications and expanding college‑level offerings; trustees asked for further trend comparisons and follow‑up analysis before making major resource commitments.