The first round of 2026 STAAR results released today shows Houston students continuing to make academic progress, with English I and English II scores reaching all-time regional highs, Algebra I achievement growing faster than the state average, and every district in the region posting gains across Algebra I, English I, and English II.
Today’s test results, which cover the Algebra 1, English I and II, Biology, and US History End of Course exams (EOCs), provide an important measure of whether school systems are preparing students with the knowledge and skills that lead to postsecondary success and a living wage. The results offer an opportunity to protect progress, replicate success, and address persistent challenges.
This year’s results tell two particularly encouraging stories. First, districts across Houston continue to make tremendous strides in Algebra 1 achievement, an important indicator for future academic and workforce readiness. Fifty-seven percent of students met grade level standards in Algebra 1, nearly a historic high for our region. Second, English I and II performance reached all-time highs, reversing the near-universal decline seen across the region just one year ago.
The Takeaways
- Houston students’ English I and II scores hit all-time highs in 2026 – completely reversing last year’s trends of widespread drops.
- Districts across Houston, led by Spring ISD and YES Prep, grew in Algebra 1, with the region’s 8-point gain in Algebra 1 achievement outpacing statewide growth.
- Houston ISD continued its yearslong trend of growth in Algebra 1 and English I and II, as its growth outpaced the state average.
What This Means & Why This Matters
Good Reason Houston’s research highlights how critical Algebra 1 is to long-term student success, so our continued progress in Algebra 1 achievement matters deeply to improving students’ postsecondary outcomes. This year’s 7-point gain regionally in the percent of students meeting grade level standards in Algebra 1 reflects the hard, intentional work of districts across Houston in building the systems and opportunities for more students to access and succeed on advanced math pathways.
At the same time, reversing last year’s near-universal drops in English I and II scores – HISD was the lone exception to this trend in 2025 – is a promising sign. Strong reading, writing, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills are essential, particularly with the quick pace of technological innovation. As artificial intelligence changes the nature of work, these foundational skills will become even more critical for students navigating college, careers, and day-to-day life.
Districts across the Houston region, led by Spring ISD and YES Prep, showed notable progress in their EOC results this year, providing important opportunities to learn from what is working and how successful practices and programs can be sustained, emulated, and scaled. Spring ISD in particular saw 7-point growth in English I and II and remarkable 12-point growth in Algebra 1. Combined with continued growth in HISD, the largest school district in Texas, this progress offers important signs of how a strong focus on high-quality instruction can improve students’ academic outcomes.
STAAR scores are an important indicator of student achievement and progress, but we know they aren’t all that matter to long-term opportunity. Houston-region high school graduates in recent years have also shown notable growth in meeting the state’s College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR) indicators, but the path through which some graduates are meeting those benchmarks raises important questions on their true readiness for postsecondary success. We must continue to remain focused on creating opportunities for students and promoting skills we know lead to long-term outcomes.
The most important question is not whether STAAR scores or other indicators of success went up or down, but what Houston learns from the results. Our region should work to understand practices driving student success so that they can be expanded. At the same time, areas of concern help identify where additional support or new programs are needed. Even with this year’s strong growth, still nearly half of students in our region did not meet standards in math or reading. The endgame is long-term student success, and STAAR scores point us in the right direction to understand where and how that success is being promoted.
“These scores matter because they tell us that students are developing the reading, writing, and math skills that open doors after high school,” said Good Reason Houston CEO Courney Isaak Pichon. “The goal is ensuring every student graduates prepared for college, career, and a life of opportunity. Students and educators have done the hard work. Now Houston must learn from what’s working, scale it, and address the challenges that remain.”
Next Tuesday the state will release STAAR results for grades 3-8, providing a broader view of student progress across their educational trajectories. Good Reason Houston will continue helping families, educators, community leaders, and policymakers understand what the data means and what Houston should do next to help more students succeed. Keep an eye out for updates and future analysis.
Several members of our Research & Data team and Policy & Advocacy team contributed to this blog.
