The overview
In Texas, public school students are required to receive an assessment of “approaches grade level” or better on EOC or equivalent exams to graduate from high school, according to the TEA. Students are assessed in five subjects: algebra I, English I, English II, biology and U.S. history.
HISD Superintendent Mike Miles touted the district’s improvements in a June 6 news release.
“Our students and teachers did exceptional work this school year,” Miles said. “This has been a challenging year in unusual circumstances, and I am unbelievably proud of what this HISD community has accomplished together.”
While HISD mostly showed gains compared to last year, the district still lagged behind state averages in every subject.
A closer look
End-of-course exam results are separated into four categories, including “did not meet grade level,” “approached grade level,” “met grade level” or “mastered grade level,” according to the TEA. To pass the exam, student must meet the “approached grade level” standard or better.
TEA data shows HISD posted the following year-over-year improvements:
- 73% of students approached grade level and above in algebra I in 2024, compared to 67% in 2023
- 88% of students approached grade level and above in biology in 2024, compared to 77% in 2023
- 65% of students approached grade level and above in English II in 2024, compared to 62% in 2023
- 93% of students approached grade level and above in U.S. History in 2024, compared to 92% in 2023
TEA officials provided the following statewide averages for each subject:
- 79% of students approached grade level in algebra I
- 91% of students approached grade level in biology
- 67% of students approached grade level in English
- 74% of students approached grade level in English II
- 95% of students approached grade level in U.S. history
In the June 6 press release, Miles highlighted year-over-year exam improvements for students enrolled in “New Education System” campuses, which feature centralized schedules with longer school days as well as district-approved classroom instruction and lessons.
District officials said most campuses that received D and F ratings through the state’s accountability rating system are required to transition to the NES format. Currently, the district has 85 NES campuses, but that number is set to increase to 130 campuses next year.
While “approaching grade level” is considered a passing grade, Miles said the district is focusing on “meets” and “masters” grade level results.
According to the news release, NES campuses showed:
- A 10% year-over-year gain for students receiving meeting or mastering scores in algebra I, compared to a 3% gain for non-NES schools
- A 5% year-over-year gain for students receiving meeting or mastering scores in English I, compared to a 1% gain for non-NES schools
- A 9% year-over-year gain for students receiving meeting or mastering scores in English II, compared to a 2% gain for non-NES schools
- An 18% year-over-year gain for students receiving meeting or mastering scores in biology, compared to a 7% gain for non-NES schools
- A 5% year-over-year gain for students receiving meeting or mastering scores in U.S. history, compared to a 2% loss for non-NES schools
Miles and the district’s board of managers were appointed by the TEA to lead the district in June of last year. The state’s takeover was, in part, motivated by what state officials called unacceptable accountability ratings for some schools, citing Wheatley High School in particular.
TEA Commissioner Mike Morath previously stated the state would return oversight to the district’s elected board of trustees after HISD completes multiple years without any campuses receiving failing grades determined by the state’s academic accountability system, which are largely determined by STAAR exam scores.
During a June 6 press conference, Miles said he believed the state takeover could end sooner than expected based on this year's test results.
"If we keep up growth like this, we'll be able to transition out into an elected board soon," Miles said.
What’s next
TEA officials said results for STAAR grades 3–8 assessments will be released to the public June 14.
