Standardized testing scores in all five high school end-of-course exam subjects—algebra I, English I, English II, biology and U.S. history—increased this spring compared to last year, showing continued academic recovery in the aftermath of pandemic-related disruptions, according to a June 30 news release from the Texas Education Agency.

As part of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, Texas public school students must perform at least to the “approaches grade level” standard on these EOC or equivalent exams to graduate from high school.
Some context

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 initiated several changes to standardized testing in Texas, included a redesign of STAAR “to better align with classroom instruction,” officials said. The redesign was a multiyear effort with collaboration between the TEA and state educators, students, parents and community members.

Assessments this year emphasized writing, and this was the first year tests were administered almost exclusively online, although accommodations were made for students with special needs and others requiring paper exams, according to the release.


The details

In four of the five subjects, testing scores surpassed prepandemic levels, officials said. While algebra I saw gains year over year, students performed six percentage points below 2019 scores.

The percentage of students in special education and emergent bilingual programs meeting grade level either increased or remained the same year over year in each of these subjects. The number of students identified as needing special education services has increased 37% since 2015, according to the release.

Quote of note


“I appreciate the dedication and skill of Texas educators as they work to meet the needs of their students every day,” Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said in the release. “STAAR is designed to provide parents and teachers with a clear understanding of how well students learned this year’s academic material and whether they are prepared for the next grade level and for life after graduation.”

What’s next

Once families receive their unique access code, they will be able to view their child’s individual EOC exam scores at www.texasassessment.gov.

STAAR scores for grades 3-8 will be available for families Aug. 16.