Graphic curtesy of Amber Hawk

LCM High School increased its score by 11 points, going from a “C” in 2024 to a “B” in 2025.

The high school campus’ accountability score recently increased by 11 whole points, going from a 71 in 2024 to an 82 in 2025. The LCM district had an overall score of 76, which is an increase of nine points from the previous year.

The accountability system is used by the state to measure school and student progress. School accountability systems are designed to drive school improvement, recognize progress, and encourage student learning and achievement.

“This score is not just about the school,” principal Amber Hawk said. “When LCMHS earns an ‘A,’ it proves that students are learning at high levels. It is about pride in your school, but also about your own future opportunities.”

There are three parts to an accountability score. The first part is student achievement which includes STAAR performance, College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR), and graduation rate. The second part is school progress which consists of academic growth and relative performance.

“Relative performance compares our school’s performance to other schools with similar size and demographics,” LCMCISD District Curriculum Coordinator Sarah McDow said. “The last part is closing the gaps.”

LCMHS achieved three distinctions. Those three distinctions include accelerated student learning and reading, advanced/duel credit completion math, and four year longitudinal graduation plan rule.

“A school receives a ‘distinction’ when they score in the top 25 percent of their comparative group,” McDow said.

LCMHS was able to achieve this growth in the overall score because of their students, teachers, and families that worked together. Their students pushed themselves on STAAR EOC tests, teachers focused on targeted instruction, and families supported attendance.

“We also used programs like Texas College Bridge to help with our CCMR score, SummitK12 to help with TELPAS, and intervention supports to help every student grow,” Hawk said.

To build on this growth, LCMHS will continue providing strong instruction, early college and career prep opportunities, and new support systems for students who need extra help.

“We are also focusing on attendance, academic vocabulary, reading and writing every day in every class, and personalized growth plans so every Bear is ready for what’s next,” Hawk said.

If LCMHS were able to achieve an “A” rating, it would show that it is one of the top-performing schools in Texas. It attracts positive attention to our district, helps with the communities pride, and shows colleges, employers, and the military that their students are well prepared.

“It also opens the door for future partnerships and programs that benefit students,” Hawk said. “We went from a 71 to an 82 last year, and I have shared with the staff that it is my goal for us to be an ‘A’ campus.”

The improvement in LCMHS accountability rating is proof that hard work pays off. Every student at LCMHS contributed to the rating improvement from a “C” to a “B.” To achieve that “A” rating, it will take 9th and 10th grade students knowing what they scored on last year’s STAAR tests and committing to growing to the next level.  11th grade students this year need to work hard to prepare for that TSI math and English test that is coming in the spring. 12th grade students need to finish their College Bridge programs. The EOC and CCMR data are primarily how the school gets their accountability rating.

“But in reality, the real goal is not just an ‘A’,” Hawk said. “The real goal is preparing our students to be future-ready and successful after graduation.”