Dripping Springs ISD students performed better overall on this spring's administration of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness compared to 2021, according to preliminary data from the Texas Education Agency.

Karen Kidd, DSISD assistant superintendent of learning and innovation, gave an overview of the district’s 2022 STAAR data from the TEA at a July 25 DSISD board of trustees meeting.

The STAAR measures how equipped students are to advance to the next grade level. Results are categorized into four standards for each subject tested: did not meet grade level, approaches grade level, meets grade level or masters grade level.

Did not meet grade level is considered a failing result; approaches grade level is passing, but the student will require heavy support in the subject; meets grade level means a student is ready for the next grade level; and masters grade level means a student should excel in the next grade.

A greater percentage of DSISD students approached grade level in 2022 than in 2021 in math, reading and science. For reading, 91% of students approached grade level in 2022, compared to 84% in 2021. The only decrease came in social studies, as 91% approached grade level in 2021 and 89% approached grade level in 2022.

The district should be focused on advancing more students from approaches to meets grade level, according to Kidd.

“Students at the approaches level are somewhat ready for that next grade level—with support,” Kidd said during her July 25 presentation to the board of trustees. “The meets level is really what we should be honing in on as a district. What the meets level gets us is students that are adequately prepared for the next grade level.”

The percentage of students meeting grade level increased across the board from 2021 in math, reading, science and social studies. In science, the subject with the largest increase, 71% of students meet grade level, a 14% increase from 2021. Reading also saw a significant increase, from 61% to 74%. Results for both math and social studies increased 5% in 2022.

Kidd is proud of the district’s performance in 2022 but wants to see a higher percentage of students reach the meets grade level standard in the future.

“These scores need to be well north of 90[%], in my opinion,” Kidd said during her presentation.

In reading, science and social studies, the district enjoyed an increase in the percentage of students mastering grade level. Social studies results increased to 49% mastered from 39% in 2021. Reading increased by 8%, and science increased by 9%. Math results remained the same at 30% mastering.

Emergent bilingual students also performed better in 2022, with a higher percentage of them approaching, meeting and mastering grade level in both reading and math.

Finalized STAAR results will be made available to districts by TEA in early fall.