The percentage of Montgomery ISD students in third to eighth grades approaching grade level either improved or remained within two percentage points of 2022 scores for the spring administration of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, except for sixth-grade math, which fell five percentage points, according to results released Aug. 16.
Diving in deeper
The Texas Education Agency released STAAR scores for school districts across Texas on Aug. 16, including MISD’s scores for third- to eighth-grade students who were tested in English or Spanish in the core subjects of reading, math, science and social studies.
Public school students must perform to at least the “approaches grade level” standard to pass the test. In the spring’s third- to eighth-grade test results:
- The district scored 86% approaching grade level in sixth-grade math compared to 91% in 2022.
- Eighth-grade math had the highest percentage of students passing with 94% of students approaching grade level, while the groups with the smallest percentages of passing students were third-grade Spanish reading and fifth-grade English science with 67% and 77%, respectively.
- Of the 16 total tested subject areas, MISD increased the percentage of passing students in six subjects from 2022 to 2023 and saw no change for two subjects.
- MISD had higher percentages of passing students than the state average in all tested subjects in 2022 and 2023.
- Eighth-grade math and reading saw the most improvement from 2022 to 2023 with the percentage of passing students jumping three percentage points.
- The only Spanish STAAR score MISD received was a 67% approaching grade level reading for third-grade Spanish reading, while the district did not receive a score for that subject in 2022.
Because the STAAR was redesigned in 2023, this year's scores cannot be directly compared to those of previous years. House Bill 3906 in 2019 mandated a redesign “to better align with classroom instruction,” officials said.
“As a district, Montgomery ISD students continued to outperform the region and state in all STAAR achievement measures. This is a true reflection of the combined efforts of our outstanding educators and supportive parents who are invested in and dedicated to their child’s academic growth,” district officials said in an Aug. 17 emailed statement.
The redesign was a multiyear collaboration among the TEA, state educators, students, parents and community members, according to TEA officials.
- This was the first year tests were administered almost exclusively online.
- Assessments this year emphasized writing skills.
Statewide, students have recovered from reading and language arts learning loss due to the pandemic, according to the TEA. Meanwhile, schools are struggling to bring scores to prepandemic levels in math.
The percentage of students statewide approaching grade level for all five high school end-of-course exam subjects—Algebra 1, English 1, English 2, Biology and U.S. History—increased this spring compared to last year, showing continued academic recovery in the aftermath of pandemic-related disruptions.
Families can view their child’s individual exam scores at www.texasassessment.gov. Learn more about statewide results here.
Danica Lloyd, Dave Manning and Brooke Sjoberg contributed to this report.
