Through one lens, G.L. Wiley Middle School has been making some remarkable strides in raising student achievement.

Through another, the lens that holds force of law, it’s simply a failure because of low scores in one subject, science.

That’s unfair to the school, to the students, to the community, and it needs to be changed.

Texas has a school accountability system that is heavy on punishment for schools with the biggest challenges.

At the same time it’s light on diagnostics to help students improve and help teachers do their jobs better.

The Texas Legislature has acknowledged this by creating a joint committee on school accountability.

This comes on the heels of replacing the high-school Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills — TAKS— with end-of-course exams in math, English, science and social studies starting with sophomores in 2011.

At the same time the Legislature set in motion a revamping of the whole accountability system so it is in place that same year.

Two key problems plague the current system. The first is TAKS’ limited use in diagnosing students’ strengths and weaknesses. A much better approach than having one testing date in the spring would be to have online assessments for multiple use that show students what they’re getting wrong and how they could get it right.

Learning is the objective, after all, not hitting students, teachers and schools over the head.

Another problem is these ratings don’t compare students against themselves in assessing improvement. They compare successive classes. That’s not always fair.

Tracking the scores of last year’s G.L. Wiley eighth graders after three years at the school showed considerable improvement, even if some started out in the depths. The focus should be on individual students and individual growth. That’s comparing apples to apples.

Another huge problem is the amount of time spent prepping for one test.

It was encouraging for State Sen. Kip Averitt to tell Trib reporter Wendy Gragg, “we are discussing measurements that more accurately reflect teachers’ successes instead of forcing them to teach strictly to the TAKS.” He should work to achieve that.

When state-mandated tests are added to so-called benchmark tests created by districts to see if classes are in sync with state demands, you have a tremendous swath of learning time carved out of a school year.

Speaking of comparisons: It is an outrage for inner-city schools to not get sufficient credit for improvement, even if they sometimes come up short.

Through one set of measurements, G.L. Wiley is failing. Through another, particularly in the area of hard work and improvement, it sounds exemplary to us.