The number of Texas school districts rated by the state as "academically unacceptable" has increased to its highest level ever, and Austin is no exception.

"Academically unacceptable" is the lowest ranking in the state accountability system implemented in 1994. The accounting released Friday by Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott attributes the increase to dropout rates.

Nine Austin Independent School District schools didn't make the cut. Out of the nine, four AISD high schools were ranked "academically unacceptable", including Eastside Memorial, formerly Johnston High before it closed for poor ratings.

Reagan High School ranked "academically unacceptable" for its fourth consecutive year. LBJ High School and Travis High School also ranked "academically unacceptable."

This year was the first year for the state's new science curriculum to take form, and the first time a new science test was administered, which happened to be the one subject Pearce Middle School students failed and what led its closure earlier this month.

Pearce Middle School ranked "academically unacceptable" for its fifth consecutive year. Pearce has been rated either "low-performing" or "academically unacceptable" eight of the past 10 years.

Scott said more needs to be done to revitalize Pearce Middle School and other East Austin schools. He said TEA is working with AISD and Pearce Middle School to reopen the school, but have yet to come to an agreement.

"One of the things I was concerned about, the turnover rate amongst science teachers, and whether or not they were all properly certified," Scott said. "And one of the things I'm asking the district to focus on is 'How are we going to get and keep strong teachers at Pearce?'"

Scott suggested better compensation plans, saying the goal is to get the district's strongest teachers in the most struggling schools.

"What is it going to take me to get you in the hard-to-staff school, 'What if I can increase your retirement multiplier?', and everyone raises their hand and says they'd be interested," he said. "We need to get smarter about our incentive pay programs."

But he addressed the white elephant in the room.

"I get into a room of teachers, and I say 'You know the dirty little secret is that you get out of college and they put you in the hard-to-staff schools, and a few years later you're looking for that suburban school where the kids are ready to learn and the parents are engaged, and it's a little easier."

AISD, later in the day, released its plan to repurpose Pearce Middle School, which includes stipends, or incentives, for recruiting teachers and rewarding them based on performance.

AISD released a statement with the plan, which states, "each sixth, seventh, and eighth grade level team at Pearce will function as a 'family environment,' focusing on each students' unique academic challenges and personal support needs. Counselors will monitor students' progress towards achieving a nine-year 'College, Career, and Life Plan,' and dropout prevention and recovery efforts will be intensified. English language learners will be provided intensive instructional support to build their academic and language skills."

Statewide, TEA says new standards also led to an increase in the number of schools ranked as "exemplary," the top rating in the accountability system.

In Austin, many schools that were ranked "acceptable" or "recognized" in previous years, were ranked "exemplary" and "recognized" this year.

Schools are rated based on student performance on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills and a standardized test for special education students along with dropout and completion rates.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.