This week, Texas released State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) results for 3rd-8th grade students from the 2024-25 school year. Unlike last week’s EOC score results, which showed strong progress in Algebra 1 but concerning declines in English 1 and 2, the 3rd to 8th grade results this week show promising, consistent improvement across the Houston region in both math and reading for our younger learners.
STAAR TEST EXPLAINED: See how the STAAR test and how it’s changed in recent years
Students across the Houston region made solid progress in 3rd to 8th grade math and reading. Districts like Aldine, Houston, and Sheldon ISDs led the way:
- Aldine ISD students showed the region’s highest growth in reading;
- Houston ISD made strong progress in math and reading, especially at New Education System (NES) schools; and
- Sheldon ISD was the only district in the region whose students grew in both math and reading in every grade 3 to 8.
Notably, the Houston region saw a 3-point gain in the percent of students meeting grade level on 8th grade reading. Now, well over half of our 8th-graders are reading on grade level, which we know is a critical indicator of long-term earning power.
Why This Matters
At Good Reason Houston, our goal is to put 45,000 additional students across the Houston region on a path to economic opportunity by 2028. Our research has found that only 1-in-5 Houston-area 2017 high school graduates earned a living wage six years after high school. However, graduates who met grade-level standards on 8th-grade STAAR reading or took the Algebra 1 STAAR exam in eighth grade were more likely to earn a living wage than those who didn’t.
Pushing toward this ambitious goal means highlighting what’s working and being honest about where we’re falling short. STAAR scores provide an important window into how well we’re doing at ensuring that every child from every neighborhood attends a world-class school.
What the Data Shows for the Houston Region
Encouragingly, 3rd-8th graders in most districts across the Houston region made progress in math and reading from last year to this year.
Overall, half of 3rd-8th graders across Houston met grade-level standards in reading, the highest proportion ever and a 3-point gain from last year. Meanwhile, 40% of students met grade level standards on 3rd-8th grade math, also up 3 points from last year, but still several points below pre-pandemic levels.
Houston students’ growth in 3rd to 8th grade math and reading outpaced growth across the state, reflecting that our schools’ relentless focus on high-impact, effective learning techniques can positively impact students.
This year’s strong growth should not make us complacent. While more than half of our 3rd to 8th graders continue to require additional support to perform at grade level in math, the progress of districts like Aldine, Houston, and Sheldon ISDs provides a blueprint for other districts to look to for inspiration. We must continue to pursue innovative strategies to push toward our goal of putting thousands more students on the path to economic prosperity in the coming years.
What the Data Shows for the Region’s Largest School District, Houston ISD
Similar to last week’s STAAR EOC results, Houston ISD demonstrated strong growth in 3rd to 8th grade reading scores in the second year of the state intervention in the district. The original group of NES schools from the 2023-24 school year continued to make progress in both subjects, while schools that joined NES for the 2024-25 school year showed even greater year-over-year gains.
While NES schools have made tremendous progress since the beginning of the state in HISD, students on those campuses continue to need additional support and resources to achieve performance levels similar to their peers at non-NES schools.
As HISD moves closer to a return to local control of the district, we must continue to track progress at NES and non-NES schools alike. It will be crucial to understand the impact of the intervention – both positive and negative – so the district can maintain successful initiatives and adjust those that haven’t met expectations.
What’s Next
The STAAR exam provides valuable insight into how well our schools are doing at providing students with the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve long-term success. Along with other assessments taken throughout the school year, such as NWEA MAP tests, they provide a rich window into student achievement across grade levels and student groups.
Though Houston-region schools showed progress this year, work remains to ensure opportunity is spread evenly across our city.
In the coming weeks we’ll share deeper analyses on STAAR outcomes by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic background, and emergent bilingual status. Looking at data in this way is essential to ensuring that all of our students are building the foundation they need to be on a trajectory for long-term success, no matter their background.
