Houston ISD announced 'significant gains' in student performance in STAAR, EOC results
HOUSTON - The Houston Independent School District (HISD) recently announced the preliminary results for the STAAR Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology, and US History End of Course Exams, revealing significant gains in student performance.
HISD students have demonstrated substantial gains in four out of five tested subjects, with some results even surpassing pre-COVID proficiency levels.
The district's New Education System campuses saw growth of at least five points in every tested subject and double-digit increases in the number of students proficient in Algebra I and Biology.
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"Our students and teachers did exceptional work this school year," stated Superintendent Mike Miles. "This has been a challenging year in unusual circumstances, and I am unbelievably proud of what this HISD community has accomplished together. When all the results are in, I believe HISD will have achieved some of the biggest proficiency gains in its history."
Houston ISD says they will be focusing on the "Meets or Exceeds" score to gauge student success and will report the "Approaches" data when available, but their primary focus is on the higher standard.
"HISD still has much work to do to increase proficiency for all students, but STAAR tells us that we are headed in the right direction," Superintendent Miles said. "This data shows we are improving struggling schools and closing achievement gaps that have been too big for too long."
The STAAR exams serve as Texas' benchmark for student proficiency in various subjects. Administered annually, the exams provide a snapshot of how well students meet grade-level standards. Typically, a one to two-point increase in proficiency is considered acceptable growth. However, HISD has surpassed expectations, with a district-wide increase of three or more percentage points compared to the previous year.
HISD plans to release preliminary STAAR results for grades 3 through 8 on June 11. The Texas Education Agency will release statewide data for STAAR High School End of Course exams on June 7, and for STAAR exams in grades 3-8 on June 14.