Year-over-year standardized test passage rates slightly declined across most subjects in grades 3-8 statewide as well as in Klein ISD, according to the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness results released June 14.
The state and district saw little improvement in the rates of students approaching grade level—which is considered passing—in reading and math between the spring 2023 and spring 2024 administrations of the STAAR.
Statewide, students saw decreased passage rates for math scores across every grade level. According to a June 14 news release from the Texas Education Agency, the decrease in math proficiency can be attributed to learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic.Some context
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's standardized test, which was primarily administered online from that point forward. The updates also emphasized writing skills and included a larger variety of questions, according to the TEA’s website.
According to the TEA, the 2024 tests were graded almost exclusively by computers in an effort by the state to save money and make the grading system more efficient.
Families can access their child’s results at www.texasassessment.gov.
A closer look
Despite the declining passage rates for most grade levels, KISD students did show improvement in some areas, including:
- Gains in fourth grade reading, rising from 82% of students approaching grade level in 2023 to 86% in 2024
- A slight improvement in fourth grade math, rising from 79% of students approaching grade level in 2023 to 80% in 2024
Stacy Kindsfather, KISD executive director of assessment, accountability and research, touted the district's performance.
“Klein ISD continued to outperform the state and the region in STAAR scores in nearly every subject and grade level, even in light of frequent changes made to the STAAR assessment and scoring methods used by the state,” Kindsfather said. “We are so proud of the hard work our Klein ISD students and teachers have done to prepare for last spring’s STAAR exams.”
Statewide, third, fifth, seventh and eighth grade results showed a decrease in reading proficiency year over year. The largest declines in performance statewide were in seventh grade math with 53% passing in 2024 compared to 61% in 2023.
What’s next
The TEA is planning to release A-F accountability ratings for the 2023-24 school year on Aug. 15, which will mark the first official look at grades under the state's redesigned performance standards.
The TEA typically assigns scores to each public school district and campus every year based on standardized test performance, student growth, and progress on closing racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps. However, the agency has not released ratings since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a lawsuit halting the release of scores last year.
Klein ISD officials said they will provide more details on the district's STAAR results once accountability ratings are released.
