Results include exams in math and reading for grades 3-8, writing for grades 4 and 7, science for grades 5 and 8, social studies for grade 8, and high school EOC exams in algebra I, English I, English II, biology and U.S. history, according to a June 28 release from the TEA.
Despite a slight drop in the percentage of students approaching grade level for grades 3-8 assessments, TISD remained above the state average in all subject areas, according to TEA data.
The release stated districts with a higher percentage of students learning virtually in 2020-21 saw greater declines in assessment results.
Previous reporting shows TISD's virtual learning population declined throughout the school year. Community Impact Newspaper previously reported TISD's in-person learning population grew from 61.5% at the start of the 2020-21 school year to 83.31% in the last grading period of the school year.
"Thankfully, from early on, Texas prioritized the availability of in-person instruction during this tremendously difficult year. When students come into Texas public schools, they are well-served by Texas educators—a fact that these scores confirm. But it is also painfully clear that the pandemic had a very negative impact on learning. I shudder to consider the long-term impact on children in states that restricted in-person instruction," TEA Commissioner Mike Morath said in the release.
TISD saw the greatest decline in eighth-grade science and fourth-grade math with a decrease of 11 percentage points and 10 percentage points, respectively, in the percentage of students approaching grade level from spring 2019 to spring 2021, according to TEA data. On the contrary, the district saw the greatest growth in algebra I with an increase of 3 percentage points in the percentage of students approaching grade level from spring 2019 to spring 2021. TISD has not responded to requests for comment as of publication.
