HOUSTON — New STAAR exam results for the state show students mainly stagnant compared to last year and still mostly behind pre-pandemic levels.
Statewide results were released Friday for students at the high school level with no change in the percentage of students reaching “meets or exceeds” scores in the exam for algebra I, biology and English I. English II saw an increase of 4% while U.S. History saw a dip of 2%.
“While we celebrate the gains in English II, we must also acknowledge the areas where student performance has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels,” Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement. “These results emphasize the critical importance of continued investment in research-based education strategies to ensure every student in Texas has the support and resources they need to succeed.”
One positive area noted by state officials was an increase in the percentage of Emergent Bilingual students who met grade level across all assessments. TEA said the increase was notable because Emergent Bilingual students represent 24% of the state’s public school students.
Earlier this week, HISD Superintendent Mike Miles said the district greatly improved in STAAR testing after his first year of leadership.
"These results far exceeded expectations for one year's growth," Miles said. "We knew that we would get some movement, but our students and teachers exceeded expectations on the STAAR exam."
HISD trails the state overall in the percentage of students who reach the “meets or exceeds” mark but it did outperform the state in year-to-year gains.
"We already know we're behind, but we're closing that gap with the state," Miles said at a news conference earlier this week.
More information on the statewide and district results can be found below: