In the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness tests, Montgomery ISD students in grades 3-8 performed above state averages in reading and math. For all grades in reading and math—except 8th grade math, which dropped two percentage points from 2021 to 2022 but was 22 percentage points above the state average—the district also saw better scores than in 2021, according to results from the Texas Education Agency, which were released in early July.
Within the district, Montgomery ISD saw the biggest gains year over year from the spring 2021 test administration to the spring 2022 test administration in third grade math and sixth grade reading, raising scores nine percentage points and eight percentage points, respectively.
"We are proud of the academic success and achievements of our amazing students in Montgomery ISD during the 2021-22 school year. Each year, we conduct an evaluation of the academic performance of our students to assess needed areas of focus, and we are very pleased that Montgomery ISD students continue to out-perform the state in every STAAR assessment used to measure academic performance," said Justin Marino, assistant superintendent of communications and public relations, in a statement. "Additionally, we are pleased that Montgomery ISD did not experience the 'COVID slide' learning loss that occurred across the state of Texas following the previous 2020-21 school year as it relates to results of the STAAR, despite receiving significantly less federal ESSER funds when compared to the state average, which were designed to help bridge the gap and mitigate COVID[-19] learning loss."
MISD attributed the gains in performance to its teaching staff.
"This is a testament to our incredible teachers, who are dedicated to maintaining high academic expectations and standards while serving all students. While we know that the success of our students is much more than the results of a test, we’re very pleased with the academic gains Montgomery ISD students achieved during the 2021-22 school year and throughout the pandemic," Marino said.
At the secondary level, scores also show improvement in the percentage of students passing, or approaching grade level, from spring 2021 to spring 2022 in the end-of-course exams in biology and U.S. history. The district maintained its performance in algebra I as well.
"The investments that the state is making in reading academies and accelerated instruction are clearly paying dividends for our students, and the results are a testament to the hard work of teachers across our state. While we still have much work to do to recover from COVID-related learning loss in mathematics, the improvements our students have made in reading are clear," Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said in a July 1 news release. View STAAR scores here.
