STAAR Results Are In. How Did HPISD Fare?

Parents statewide got their first look at their 3-8 grade students’ State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test results last week.

Students took a redesigned STAAR test last year that was administered online with few exceptions and included more open-ended questions. The Texas Education Agency released STAAR end-of-course assessment results for high schoolers in Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology, and U.S. History June 30 and the 3-8 STAAR results Aug. 16. Grades 3-8 were tested in math and reading. Students in grades 5-8 were also tested in science, and eighth graders were also tested in social studies.

Statewide, the percentage of students in grades 3-8 English I and II that met grade level or above in Reading Language Arts remained at 52% (the same as in 2022), which is up from the 43% reported in 2021 and 47% reported in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The percentage of students in grades 3-8 taking math or Algebra I that met grade level or above rose this year to 43% from 40% in 2022, but it remains 7 points below 2019 levels (50%) before the pandemic. 

The percentage of eighth graders taking social studies or U.S. History that met grade level or above was 50%, up from 49% in 2022 but still four points below 2019 levels (54%).

“Teachers across Texas continue to work with passion and skill to help students learn,” said Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath. “This year’s results show the efforts of our educators continue to deliver improved results for students.”

In Highland Park ISD, 90% of third graders taking reading met grade level, up from 88% in 2022, 88% of fourth graders met grade level, up from 81% in 2022, 85% of fifth graders met grade level, up from 83% in 2022, 89% of sixth graders met grade level, up from 69% in 2022, 88% of seventh graders met grade level, up from 87% in 2022, and 91% of eighth graders met grade level, up from 89% in 2022. 

Eighty-three percent of HPISD third graders taking math met grade level, up from 82% in 2022, 89% of fourth graders met grade level, up from 77% in 2022, 79% of fifth graders met grade level, up from 70% in 2022, 87% of sixth graders met grade level, up from 78% in 2022, 71% of seventh graders met grade level, up from 56% in 2022, and 85% of eighth graders met grade level, up from 82% in 2022.

Sixty-five percent of HPISD fifth graders taking science met grade level, down from 72% in 2022, and 67% of eighth graders taking science met grade level, down from 70% in 2022.

Sixty-six percent of HPISD eighth-graders taking social studies met grade level, down from 69% in 2022. 

“Our students perform very well in comparison to the state,” said HPISD Instructional Technology Director Amy Wood. “We are beginning to dive into the data. We’re looking for areas of growth, as well as our areas of celebration, areas to focus on.”

Wood also stressed the impact of the STAAR redesign.

“STAAR changed drastically this year. In the past, it’s been highly multiple-choice driven; they added a whole slew of different item types,” she said. 

In other Highland Park ISD news:

• The board of trustees approved a tax rate of 0.8927 per $100 valuation (0.7227 for maintenance and operations and 0.1700 for interest and sinking, the payment of principal and interest on debts). This marks a reduction of about 17% from the 2022-2023 tax rate. 
• The trustees approved a superintendent entry plan for new superintendent  Dr. Mike Rockwood focused on fall 2023, including long-range planning for the next five years, English Language Arts/ Reading instruction (facilitating the ongoing implementation of the district’s new ELAR framework), math instruction (facilitating the launch of the new math framework), staff evaluation and appraisal, and communication (building relationships with staff, students, and community as well as increasing the district’s online presence).