What you need to know
The state and districts did not see much improvement in the rates of students approaching grade level in reading and math—which is considered passing—between the spring 2023 and spring 2024 administrations of the STAAR test.
The STAAR was redesigned in 2023, and there were new changes implemented in how tests were graded in 2024. In 2019, House Bill 3906 mandated a redesign of the state standardized test, which was administered online from that point. The new test also emphasized writing skills and a larger variety of questions, according to the Texas Education Agency’s website.
The 2024 tests were graded almost exclusively by computers, which had human oversight, in an effort by the state to save money and make the grading system more efficient, according to the TEA.
Families can access their child’s results at www.texasassessment.gov.
Statewide, students are still struggling with their math scores and the decrease in math proficiency can be attributed to learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the June 14 TEA news release. The decline in math scores is also seen at Montgomery and Willis ISDs as the districts also struggles to bring scores back to prepandemic levels.
Quote of note
In a statement, Chris Summers, MISD's assistant superintendent of secondary education, said the district outperformed the state when it came to the spring 2024 STAAR test.
"MISD surpassed the state in the percentage of students rated 'Approaches' or 'Meets' on all tests in grades 3 through EOC. We surpassed the state in the percentage of students rated 'Masters' on all but two of the STAAR tests in grades 3 through EOC," Summers said. "This is evidence that our students, teachers, and leaders continue to work incredibly hard and their dedication to learning and growing each year is at the heart of all we do in Montgomery ISD."
The breakdown
- Willis ISD fourth-graders saw an increase in math passage rates from 67% to 71%.
- Willis ISD sixth-grade students saw a decrease in math passage rates from 69% to 59%.
- Fourth-grade reading was the only test to see an increase in rates across the state and in Montgomery and Willis ISDs.
- For seventh-grade students, Montgomery ISD saw a decrease in math passage rates from 80% to 68%.
- Willis ISD saw math passage rates decline from 45% to 32% for seventh-grade students.
- Statewide, fifth-graders saw the biggest decrease in science passage rates by 7 percentage points.
- Statewide, third-, fifth-, seventh- and eighth-grade results showed a decrease in reading proficiency, each dropping by at least 2 percentage points from the previous year.
- Seventh-grade math saw the biggest decrease in passage rates statewide—by 8 percentage points.
Community Impact has reached out to Willis ISD for a comment.
