Education
BY ATIRIKTA KUMAR
STAAR scores dip in Montgomery County districts Year-over-year standardized test passage rates declined across most subjects in grades 3-8 in Conroe, Montgomery and Willis ISDs, per the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness results released June 14. The state and districts 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 adminis- trations of the STAAR test. The decrease in math proficiency can be attributed to learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, per a June 14 news release from the Texas Education Agency. “Pandemic-induced disruptions to learning exacerbated students’ difficulties in mastering fundamental math concepts,” Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said via news release. “As a result, we must keep our foot on the gas to intensify efforts ... to ensure that students obtain necessary foundational skills and concepts and achieve the desired academic outcomes not only in math but across all subject areas.” The STAAR was redesigned in 2023, and new changes were implemented in how tests were graded in 2024, according to the TEA’s website. In 2019, House Bill 3906 mandated a redesign of the test, which was primarily administered online from that point forward. The 2024 tests were graded almost exclusively
STAAR passing score changes, 2023 vs. 2024
by computers, which had human oversight, in an effort by the state to save money and make grading more efficient, per the TEA’s website. What they’re saying In a statement, Chris Summers, MISD’s assistant superintendent of secondary education, said the district outperformed the state when it came to the spring 2024 administration of the STAAR test. “MISD surpassed the state in the percentage of students rated ‘Approaches’ or ‘Meets’ on all tests in grades 3 through EOC. We surpassed the state in the percentage of students rated ‘Masters’ on all but two of the STAAR tests in grades 3 through EOC,” Summers said. “This is evidence that our students, teachers and leaders continue to work incredibly hard; and their dedication to learning and growing each year is at the heart of all we do.” At an Aug. 6 board of trustees workshop, CISD Deputy Superintendent Bethany Medford said despite some decreases since the previous year, the district performed favorably compared to its peer schools. “Math [is] where we’ve seen a lot of gaps as we look at students from those COVID[-19] years,” Medford said. Willis ISD did not return a request for comment prior to press time. Major takeaways The largest decline in passage rates was seen in seventh-grade math. The passage rates from 2023 to 2024 declined: from 45% to 32% in WISD; from 80% to 68% in MISD; and from 63% to 49% in CISD. Meanwhile, some of the largest increases in passage rates was seen in fourth-grade reading. Passage rates from 2023 to 2024 increased: from 75% to 82% in WISD; from 90% to 91% in MISD; and from 86% to 88% in CISD.
Conroe ISD Willis ISD
Montgomery ISD Statewide -10 -5 0 5 10
-15
3rd Grade
4th Grade
5th Grade
6th Grade
7th Grade
8th Grade
3rd Grade
4th Grade
5th Grade
6th Grade
7th Grade
8th Grade
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Full-day Pre-K Needs Full-Day Funding
DID YOU KNOW?
The state requires full-day pre-K but only funds half the day.
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