Results for Texas' end-of-year standardized test, STAAR, were released Wednesday, and Houston ISD's high school students saw their biggest boosts in Algebra I and English I, with modest gains in biology and English II.
In Algebra I, the district raised its passing rate by five points to 82%, and by eight points in English I to 69%. In biology and English II, students raised their scores three points to 94% and 71%, respectively. Districtwide scores slipped slightly by just one percentage point in U.S. history, though they have remained consistently high for the past four years.
"These results reflect the transformation that is possible when students receive strong instruction every day, in every classroom," Superintendent Mike Miles said. "Over the past three years, HISD has raised expectations and focused relentlessly on student learning. The result is that more students are reading on grade level, succeeding in challenging coursework, and achieving at higher levels across grade levels and subjects."
Similar results were seen in neighboring Cypress-Fairbanks, Katy, and Fort Bend ISDs, which all saw improvements in Algebra I, biology, and English I, but slight dips in English II and U.S. history.
The districts' scores largely mirror statewide results, which also saw passing scores rise across all subjects except U.S. history, where passing scores slipped a percentage point, but have still remained high for several years. Statewide, while student scores in Algebra I rose six percentage points, results have still not recovered from the post-pandemic slump.
The annual assessment measures a high school student’s mastery of the knowledge and skills needed for the next stage of their education. The exams are administered near the end of the school year and score students in four different achievement buckets: did not meet, approaches and above, meets and above, and masters. A STAAR exam score, even in the lowest category — "did not meet" — cannot hold a student back. All other achievement levels are considered passing.
Results for grades 3-8 will be available next week on June 16.
The high school scores are currently considered preliminary to allow districts time to submit rescore requests. Scores will become final in July.
STAAR scores play a central role in determining a school's accountability rating. Each year, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) assigns A–F ratings to every public school and district in the state, with student performance on STAAR accounting for a significant share of those ratings. Low ratings can trigger serious consequences, including school closures and state intervention. Eight Texas school districts, including Houston ISD, are set to operate under state control during the upcoming school year, while several others remain at risk of state takeover due to their accountability performance. Six of those districts are under state control due to consecutive failing accountability ratings.
STAAR changes coming for 2027-2028
Last summer, state legislators approvedHouse Bill 8, which will replace the unpopular annual assessment with three shorter tests dispersed throughout the school year. Those changes are scheduled to take place for the 2027-2028 school year. The assessments will also now be "adaptive," which means test questions are adjusted based on the students’ responses to previous questions, meaning each student will experience a different set of test questions.
Some minor changes regarding how teachers relay instructions for the exam, aiming to reduce stress and anxiety, already went into effect this year.
A core concern of STAAR was the high-stakes and high-stress nature of the one-day test. Several students and educators spoke to lawmakers while the bill was being debated, highlighting the stress and anxiety around the exam and the preparation for the exam. House Bill 8 limits the number of practice tests and benchmarks schools can hold throughout the year in preparation for the exam.
State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican who sponsored the bill in the Senate, said at the time of the passage, the changes "will restore classroom time, end wasteful lawsuits, and prepare Texas students for real-world achievement."
However, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, who is currently running as the Democratic nominee for governor, said the law doesn't deliver on its promise of less testing.
In a statement on her campaign's website, Hinojosa said Gov. Greg Abbott had not eliminated tests but instead “supersized" the number of standardized tests students take.
"No parent asked for this," the statement said. "Texas kids deserve better."
Bob Popinski, the dean of policy for the education nonprofit Raise Your Hand Texas, said there is good intention behind shortening and dispersing the tests throughout the year; however, the law has not reformed how the tests are used to determine accountability ratings for schools. Popinski explains the first two tests of the year will not be considered when the TEA assesses scores to determine accountability ratings and instead will be used to help inform instruction throughout the year.
"What hasn’t changed is actually more important," Popinski said. "What feeds into our A through F campus and district ratings right now is one test at the end of the school year that hasn’t changed."
The pressure to perform well on the end-of-year exam for a strong accountability rating will still exist. Popinski adds that the outsized role STAAR scores play in the accountability system provides a limited measure of a school’s overall success.
"When you have 100% resting on the test, that’s where you get a lot of student pushback, teacher pushback and parent pushback," Popinski said. "That [test scores are] the sole determination of how well we think our campus is doing and that’s not entirely true. It’s a good measure of certain things, but it’s not a good measure of what a well-rounded education looks like."
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