The Scores Are in, and Many HPISD Students Got Top Marks

Texas hasn’t announced A-F grades yet, but based on this year’s standardized test results, each of Highland Park’s schools should make the honor roll.

The district expects all of its schools to receive A ratings based on students’ performance on this year’s State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests. 

In the last school year, high schoolers took end-of-course assessments in Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology, and U.S. History. Grades 3-8 were tested in math and reading. Students in fifth and eighth grade were also tested in science, and eighth graders took social studies exams.

During an Aug. 20 meeting, the district’s Board of Trustees reviewed data comparing HPISD students’ performance to the results statewide and to three other high-performing Texas school districts.

The data included the percent of students who passed the test, or were classified as “approaches grade level,” who were classified as “meets grade level,” and who achieved the highest scores and were classified as “masters grade level.”

Board of Trustees member Blythe Koch noted a score increase in about 75% of the categories for third through eighth graders, an area where the district has been concentrating its efforts. “So we really are moving in the right direction,” she said. “That’s very encouraging.”

In science:

91% to 99% of students passed their grade-level test, 57% to 88% met grade level, and 27% to 44% achieved mastery. “We do still have work to do to ensure students are understanding the content at the highest level,” deputy superintendent Shorr Heathcote told the board. 

She explained that the district is focusing on helping students respond to open-ended questions, questions that require multiple responses, and those that originate from a previous grade level. 

In social studies:

92% of eighth graders received passing scores, 68% met grade level, and 44% were ranked at “masters grade level.”

High schoolers outperformed their peers in other high performing districts at every level on the U.S. History end-of-course assessment. 100% of test-takers passed the exam, 98% met grade level, and 83% achieved mastery. An average of 72% of test-takers achieved mastery on the exam in the three other high-performing districts.

HPISD’s social studies framework is in its developmental stages, and ongoing training will take place throughout the year, Heathcote said. The fifth-through-eighth grade social studies team has identified a need for additional writing opportunities that ensure mastery of the material, she said.

In English language arts and reading:

97% to 99% of students passed their grade-level test, and 90% to 96% of students met grade level. 64% to 74% of students in grades 3-8 achieved mastery on the test, a status earned by 47% of students in English I and 27% of those in English II.

Heathcote said HPISD’s scores have improved, largely because of the district’s focus on grammar and writing. The district will continue to implement its new ELAR framework, and ensure that it can make sustainable change.

“For English I and II, we will be focusing on grammar and responding to reading, and the full writing process,” she said. 

In math:

95% to 98% of students passed the test, 74% to 88% met grade level, and 45% to 55% achieved mastery.

“Data has shown an increase in mastery performance for grades three, five, seven and eight,” Heathcote said. She said the district will look for opportunities to improve scores in grades four and six.

Though letter grades haven’t been released yet, “at this time, based on the information we have, all schools in Highland Park would be rated an A,” she said.