Latest news with #StateofTexasAssessmentsofAcademicReadiness
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Texas high school students' STAAR scores show gains in STEM fields, struggles in reading and literacy
Partial results from the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness exam released on Tuesday show that high school students made gains in algebra and biology, which education policy analysts celebrated as a step in the right direction as Texas tries to shift toward a more STEM-focused workforce. But the data also shows students continue to struggle in English and U.S. history, which experts said underscored the need for a renewed focus on reading and literacy. The STAAR exam gauges if high-schoolers are meeting grade-level proficiency in those subjects and if they need additional help. The students who took the standardized test this past spring and met grade-level expectations in Algebra I was 47%, up two percentage points from last year. 'Success in Algebra I is super predictive of post-secondary attainment, credential attainment, and post-secondary success, and so therefore long-term wages,' said Gabriel Grantham, a policy adviser with Texas 2036. During the 2023 legislative session, lawmakers approved Senate Bill 2124, a bill aimed at increasing math proficiency, but it's unclear how those efforts might have contributed to students' gain in algebra this year. Research shows that student enrollment in high-level math courses is directly connected to post-secondary career advancements. This year, the percentage of students who met grade-level expectations in biology went up to 62%, five percentage points higher than last year. Economically disadvantaged students, students receiving special education services and emergent bilingual students, also saw small gains in the subject. But the results also mean that nearly half of students taking biology are still not meeting grade level, Grantham said. 'We are always excited about growth, but we always have to take stock of where we actually are,' he said. 'We want to be No. 1 in education and this is kind of like the line in the sand. It says, 'OK, we need to move forward and we need to move upward from here.'' Students meeting grade level in English I was down to 51%, three percentage points lower than last year. Additionally, the percentage of students meeting grade level in English II dropped to 56%, four percentage points lower than last year. High school students that took the U.S. history also saw a slight decline in grade-level proficiency down one percentage point from 69% last year. During this year's legislative session,. lawmakers tried to scrap the STAAR test but were unsuccessful. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have long criticized the standardized test for taking valuable instructional time away from teachers. STAAR results for grades 3-8 are expected to be released next week. Disclosure: Texas 2036 has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. Big news: 20 more speakers join the TribFest lineup! New additions include Margaret Spellings, former U.S. secretary of education and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center; Michael Curry, former presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church; Beto O'Rourke, former U.S. Representative, D-El Paso; Joe Lonsdale, entrepreneur, founder and managing partner at 8VC; and Katie Phang, journalist and trial lawyer. Get tickets. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
When are STAAR results released 2025? How Texas high school students can check
High school students in the Lone Star State can now view their STAAR results from this spring. On Tuesday, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) released end-of-course assessment data from the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). While students begin taking STAAR exams in third grade, the high school-level tests are subject-specific and typically taken after a student completes the corresponding course. While the STAAR results for students in grades three through eight aren't available yet, those for high school students are. Here's how to check them. People are also reading: Texas, Austin high school students gained in math, declined in English on STAAR test The spring 2025 results for the STAAR End-of-Course (EOC) assessments were released on Tuesday, June 10. TEA provides the following steps to view a student's STAAR scores: Log in to your district's parent portal. Click the link to your district's parent portal page to access STAAR results. Learn more about the STAAR results, including how each test question was answered, and find personalized resources to support learning at home. At the beginning of the next school year, STAAR results can be discussed with teachers to determine the best ways to support learning and academic growth. STAAR results can be viewed via the Texas Assessment site or at The District Family Portal uses a Single Sign-On (SSO) requiring the student's unique access code, date of birth, and first name. More on STAAR: Bill to eliminate STAAR, reshape Texas school testing on path to legislative death The STAAR results for students in grades three through eight will be available on Tuesday, June 17, according to TEA. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: STAAR test results: How to view Spring 2025 Texas high school scores
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bill to replace Texas STAAR test fails
The Brief A bill to replace the STAAR test failed to pass the Texas legislature The House and Senate could not agree on key differences. The Texas State Teachers Association opposed the Senate's version, preferring no bill to what they saw as overreach by the education commissioner. AUSTIN - Texas lawmakers failed to come to an agreement on a bill that would have replaced the STAAR test in the state. Dig deeper House Bill 4, authored by state Rep. Brad Buckley (R-Salado), would have replaced the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) with three shorter tests during the school year. Under the bill, the tests would have been given out in October, from mid-January to early-February, and late May. Different versions of the bill passed the House and Senate, but the two chambers could not agree on differences. The Senate was pushing to keep a social studies test and for the Texas Education Agency commissioner to be able to set strict standards for school districts' letter-grade system. The House wanted the state legislature to approve any changes to the A-F ratings made by the TEA. The STAAR test has been used for students in grades three through 11 since 2012. What they're saying The Texas State Teachers Association had urged state legislators to vote no on the Senate version of the bill. "We think we are better off that there is no bill at all than what the Senate wanted to do. We thought the Senate gave far too much authority to the unelected state commissioner," the union wrote on social media. The Source Information in this article comes from documents from Texas Legislature on House Bill 4 and statements by the Texas State Teachers Association.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bill to scrap the STAAR test fails in the Texas Legislature
AUSTIN, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – A bill aimed at scrapping the STAAR exam, co-authored by State Representative Brooks Landgraf, has failed in the Texas Legislature this session. House Bill 4 would have State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test for three shorter tests given throughout the school year. Rep. Langraf released a statement saying, in part, 'As I've reported, the bill I co-authored to scrap the STAAR was passed overwhelmingly here in the Texas House of Representatives. Then we sent the bill—HB 4—to the Texas Senate. Rather than vote up-or-down on the good bill we sent to them, the Senate amended HB 4. Rather than scrap STAAR, the Senate amendments would have just created STAAR 2.0. Lipstick on a pig. This is an old trick that's been done before, and as a member of the conference committee, I wouldn't go along with it. I think it would've been insulting to our students, teachers and taxpayers to change the name the test and pretend like we got rid of STAAR. After desperately trying to get the Senate to go back to the original bill that would have actually scrapped STAAR, they dug in and refused. In this case, not passing the bill would be better than lying to the people of Texas about scrapping STAAR. With the legislative session adjourning Monday, this all means HB 4 is dead. HB 4 (as passed by the House) would have been great for Texas students, teachers and taxpayers. It would have also been good politics for any lawmaker who helped pass it. I won't give up the fight to scrap STAAR, and neither should you. But we will have some more work to do.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Texas Education Agency extends Houston school district takeover through 2027
The state takeover of the Houston Independent School District will continue for two more years, the Texas Education Agency announced Monday. Education Commissioner Mike Morath had until June 1 to decide next steps for the state's largest school district, whose former superintendent and elected school board members were ousted and replaced in 2023 due to years of poor academic outcomes at a single campus and allegations of leadership misconduct. Since then, state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles has led the district, a controversial figure in Houston who has ushered improvements on state exams while struggling to win over community support. Still, Morath decided to extend the intervention until June 1, 2027, applauding the district for its improvements but citing the need for more progress. That progress, he said, will have to include no school campuses with failing accountability scores across multiple years, compliance with special education requirements and improved school board governance. Morath on Monday also announced the appointment of four new school board members, replacing four he selected in 2023. 'With the changes made in the last two years, Houston ISD is well on its way to being a district where all of its schools provide students with the educational opportunities that will allow them to access the American Dream,' the commissioner said in a statement. 'Ultimately, two years has not been enough time to fix district systems that were broken for decades. The extension of this intervention will allow the district to build on its progress and achieve lasting success for students once the board transitions back to elected leadership.' The Houston Chronicle first reported the extension of the takeover. Under Miles' leadership, the district has experienced extraordinary staff turnover and plummeting student enrollment. Miles, who inherited a district that for years ran an overall well-performing school system, has faced accusations of shepherding a militaristic educational environment where teachers have limited freedom to teach in ways they see fit and children are exhausted and disengaged from learning. Miles, on the other hand, has touted student improvement on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR test, and progress in the district's A-F accountability ratings as proof that his model is effective, an achievement that Morath and state lawmakers have publicly commended. During the November election, Houston voters shot down a plan to approve $4.4 billion in academic and infrastructure improvements for the school district — the largest proposal of its kind in state history — which many saw as a litmus test for Miles' support. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
