Austin ISD students outperformed most state averages on both fifth and eighth grade STAAR science exams this spring, according to results the Texas Education Agency released July 31.
Why now
Science was the only subject held back from the June 16 statewide State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, release.
The TEA delayed fifth and eighth grade science scores to allow time for "standard setting" tied to science curriculum standards adopted in 2021, which were fully implemented into STAAR for the first time this year. The delay allows this year's results to be compared fairly with prior years, the TEA said when it released math, reading and language arts results in June.
Breaking it down
In fifth grade, 66% of AISD students scored "approaches grade level" or above, edging out the 65% state average, according to Texas Assessment Research Portal data.
The gap widened at the higher performance tiers, the data shows. Thirty-nine percent of AISD fifth graders met grade level or above, 2 points above the state. At the “masters” tier, AISD led the state by a single point at 19%.
Eighth grade followed the same pattern at the top of the scale, but AISD fell just short of the state on the base passing rate.
Seventy-four percent of AISD eighth graders approached grade level or above, just 1 point below the state. However, AISD pulled ahead further up the scale: 58% of AISD met grade level or above and 38% reached mastery, compared with 54% and 29% statewide.
Both grades improved year over year for AISD, according to the data. Fifth grade's approaches-or-above rate rose from 64% in 2025 to 66% in 2026, while eighth grade climbed from 69% to 74%.
The data also shows AISD's average scale score topping the state's by 18 points in fifth grade and 120 points in eighth grade, although the two grade-level gaps aren't directly comparable to each other.
Zooming out
The science scores are the last piece of this year's grades 3-8 STAAR data.
AISD outperformed the state average in five of 13 exams released in June, including reading and language arts in third through fifth grade and eighth grade social studies, while posting mixed results in math and a notable decline in seventh grade math passing rates, as previously reported by Community Impact.
With the addition of these two science exams, AISD outperformed the state average on a total of 7 out of 15 exams for the 2026 spring testing cycle.
What else
The STAAR science scores feed into the TEA's annual campus and district accountability ratings, which the agency is expected to release Aug. 14.
Families can access individual STAAR results through the Austin ISD Parent Portal or the TEA's Texas Assessment website. More information on AISD testing is available on the district website.
