April is Mathematics Awareness Month, and as students in Houston are preparing to take the annual STAAR test in public schools across the city this spring, we look back at how students did on the test last year.
Math declines continued:
- Grade 3 math in Houston saw about a 9% point decrease between 2019 and 2022.
- Grade 8 math saw a decrease over 2x as large (19%) during the same time period.
Large equity gaps continued to exist between Black and white students and Hispanic and white students:
- In Houston, the average % meets/masters for 2022 STAAR for white 3rd grade math students is 66% compared to 32% for Hispanic or Latino students and 23% for Black students.
- In Houston, the average % meets/masters for 2022 STAAR for white 8th grade math students is 46% compared to 31% for Hispanic or Latino students and 22% for Black students.
Declines were larger among equity groups:
- Where white students saw a 3% decrease in their 3rd grade math scores during this time, Black and Hispanic or Latino students were affected at around 3x that rate (9% and 10%, respectively).
- 8th grade math scores decreased similarly regardless of students’ race/ethnicity, with Black and Hispanic or Latino students seeing a 20-21% point decrease, and white students seeing a 19% point decrease, unlike 3rd grade math scores.
Access STAAR math proficiency data through our Regional Progress dashboard at goodreasonhouston.org/data.
