Spring ISD's year-over-year standardized test passage rates declined across most subjects in grades 3-8, as did statewide scores, 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.

In SISD and statewide, students saw decreased passage rates for math scores across every grade level year over year. According to a June 14 news release from the Texas Education Agency, the statewide decrease in math proficiency can be attributed to learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Put in perspective

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 children’s results at www.texasassessment.gov.

The specifics

Despite the declining passage rates for most grade levels, SISD students did show improvement in some areas, including:

• Increases for fourth grade reading, which showed 67% of students approaching grade level in 2023 and 71% in 2024
• A slight improvement in sixth grade reading, rising from 66% of students approaching grade level in 2023 to 67% in 2024

Community Impact reached out to SISD for comment on the district's STAAR scores and was awaiting responses as of press time Aug. 1.

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.

Stay tuned

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, which halted the release of scores last year.

Wesley Gardner contributed to this report.