Austin ISD Moves to Turn Around Dobie Middle School Following Repeated “F” Ratings on STAAR Assessments

The Austin Independent School District (AISD) board has approved an aggressive turnaround plan for Dobie Middle School—alongside two other struggling campuses—to avoid potential intervention by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) due to consecutive failing academic ratings.

Key Developments

• Dobie Middle School, along with Webb and Burnet Middle Schools, received an “F” rating in 2019, and are predicted to receive a second consecutive “F” in the 2024–25 accountability cycle—a threshold that could trigger TEA takeover under state law.

• On June 26, AISD’s school board voted to adopt the Accelerating Campus Excellence (ACE) turnaround model, investing approximately $1.7 million per school, prioritizing new leadership, high-performing teachers, extended instruction, and wellness resources—despite opposition from students, staff, and families fearful of disruption.

Strategy & Timeline

• The ACE model includes replacing school leadership, rehiring only a portion of previous faculty, and launching a rigorous monitoring process via interim STAAR and benchmark testing.

• If significant improvements aren’t evident by December 2025, AISD will notify the TEA of plans to partner with a charter operator for school management by the 2026–27 academic year, in order to preempt a state takeover.

Public & District Response

• Community members, especially students and parents at Dobie, staged walkouts and voiced concerns over job security, quality control, and the rapidity of the turnaround timeline.

• District officials emphasized the urgency, citing the district’s need to retain local control and prevent possible TEA intervention—including replacing the elected school board with state-appointed managers if multiple campuses fail consecutively.