Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a comment from Leander ISD Superintendent Bruce Gearing.

Leander ISD students outperformed state averages in every grade level and subject in the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness administered this spring, excluding Spanish STAAR scores.

The big picture

STAAR results released by the Texas Education Agency on Aug. 16 show third through eighth grade students approaching grade level at a higher rate than the state averages across the board. Approaching grade level is equivalent to passing and indicates a student is likely to do well in the next grade level.

The most notable disparities occurred within seventh and eighth grade math scores. Almost 70% of LISD seventh graders approached grade level compared to 35% of state test takers, while 88% of district eighth graders approached grade level versus 44% of test takers in state.


The statewide scores confirmed students are continuing to recover from learning loss during the pandemic in reading and language arts but are struggling to reach prepandemic math scores, according to TEA officials.

Also of note

The district also maintained or outperformed its scores from the 2021-22 school year, except for seventh grade math which had a 1% lower passing rate in 2023.

This year was the first time students took the STAAR since the state redesigned the test to better align with classroom learning. The redesigned test was mostly administered online and included new types of questions, cross-curricular reading passages and evidence-based writing assessments.


What they're saying

"STAAR test results are one measure of many we use as a district to ensure we are moving steadily towards our goal of empowered learners who meet the tenets of our graduate profile," LISD Superintendent Bruce Gearing said. "We continue to measure student achievement and growth using multiple measures and are excited to report our progress to the community soon with our second annual Community Based Accountability System Report. We are committed to achieving the hopes and dreams that our community has for our children."

Learn more

Parents can view their children's individual STAAR scores on the TEA’s Texas Assessments website, including their student's answers for each question and recommendations for academic improvement.