The Texas Education Agency gathers performance data on students in every school and district for the annual Texas Academic Performance Reports. Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Molly May and Assessment Coordinator Catheryn Chairez presented the board of trustees with information from the 2022-23 TAPR during the regular board meeting on Jan. 23.
Terms to know
The TAPR uses three levels to indicate a student's STAAR performance.
- Approaches grade level means the student has some gaps in the content knowledge and will need additional support. This is still a passing score.
- Meets grade level means the student has a strong understanding of the content and is prepared to progress to the next grade.
- Masters grade level means the student has shown mastery of the course and is skilled in the subject area.
Chairez noted the 2022-23 STAAR scores come from the “STAAR 2.0.”
“It was the first year that our students had this test with more integrated and interactive testing items and writing embedded throughout,” Chairez said. “It’s very different than the previous multiple choice test they took.”
Per the report, the reading STAAR scores for students in third through eighth grades showed:
- 95% of students or more approached the grade level
- 83% of students or more met the grade level
- Between 36%-69% of students mastered the grade level
- 93% of students or more approached the grade level
- 72% of students or more met the grade level
- Between 20%-63% of students mastered the grade level
End-of-course exams are taken by high schoolers and middle schoolers in algebra I as well as high schoolers in English I, English II, biology and U.S. history. In each subject, the EOC scores showed:
- 96% of students or more approached the grade level
- 83% of students or more met the grade level
- Between 29%-71% of students mastered the grade level
May said that there has been a “dramatic increase” in chronic absenteeism, or students who miss more than 18 days of the school year. Although the TAPR chronic absenteeism data is from the 2021-22 school year, May said that this is still an ongoing issue.
“This is not unique to Eanes,” May said. “You’re seeing this in the region; you’re seeing this in the state. ... It does seem, I’ll be honest, that school seems a little more optional sometimes since COVID[-19]. There isn’t that sort of same structure, I guess. So we’re trying to figure out how we can make sure we really talk about the importance of kids being in school not only for learning, [but] it does impact our funding.”
Also of note
The report provided other district data for the 2021-22 school year, including:
- Eanes ISD’s attendee rate was 95%, higher than the state average of 92.% and the Region 13 average of 91.8%.
- Eanes ISD’s College, Career and Military Readiness rating was 84.2%, higher than the state average of 70% and the Region 13 average of 70.5%.
- Eanes ISD’s ACT scores averaged 28 out of a max score of 36, higher than other comparable districts, such as Lake Travis ISD at 25.9 and Alamo Heights ISD at 25.3.
- 99.7% of students in the class of 2022 graduated.
The report does not include an A-F accountability rating for the district or its campuses, which Chairez said is due to ongoing statewide litigation as of December 2023.
