Austin School Improved Rating From F to B
The Bertha Sadler Means Young Women's Leadership Academy turnaround highlights a successful model for local campus growth.
Updated on Oct. 5, 2026 in Secondary Education
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In August 2026, the Bertha Sadler Means Young Women's Leadership Academy improved its Texas Education Agency rating from an F in 2024 to a B. This shift marks a significant recovery for the 222-student campus in Northeast Austin.
Why it matters
The district is now analyzing the school's instructional approach to help improve performance at 20 other campuses that currently hold F ratings. The improvement underscores how targeted teaching methods can boost student outcomes in underperforming schools.
The school achieved an 85 rating this year, up from a 69 in 2025 and a 48 in 2023. Proficiency rates also surged, with reading rising to 45% and math climbing to 42% since 2024.
The players
Bertha Sadler Means Young Women's Leadership Academy
A public school in Northeast Austin that transitioned from an F to a B state rating through specialized instructional reform.
Texas Education Agency
The state authority responsible for overseeing K-12 education, performance ratings, and campus accountability standards.
Austin Independent School District
The local school authority currently seeking to replicate successful campus turnaround models across 20 other struggling schools.
The details
Leadership implemented the Fab Five strategy, which prioritizes small-group instruction, writing across the curriculum, and purposeful teaching. Students are also given personal academic trackers to monitor their own performance data. This approach aims to foster student ownership of academic progress, contrasting with the struggles seen at schools like Burnet and Webb middle schools.
Timeline
2015: The Sadler Means campus opened in Northeast Austin.
2023: The school received an F rating from state evaluators.
2024: The school received a second consecutive F rating.
August 2026: The Texas Education Agency released current annual letter grades.
January 2027: A new school campus is scheduled to open.
The Home Front
This academic turnaround provides a potential blueprint to navigate the strict Texas state takeover law that mandates intervention after five consecutive F ratings. Success here offers a local path forward as the district manages a $2.4 billion voter-approved bond for facilities.
Parents at any campus should monitor official state letter grades to stay informed about their school's performance trends. Check the Texas Education Agency portal annually to understand how your child's school compares to district-wide averages in core subjects like reading and math.
The takeaway
The school’s success demonstrates the effectiveness of consistent small-group instruction and student-led progress tracking. Families can support this growth by reviewing their students' academic trackers regularly to stay aligned with the school's performance goals.
What happens next
The school's new campus is scheduled for completion and opening in January 2027.
Further reading
Learn more about local academic standards in our Secondary Education section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Dallas Morning News.
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