The recently published outcomes of the revamped 2023 STAAR examination were released on Aug. 16, 2023. The results include mathematics and reading-language arts (RLA) for students in grades 3-8, along with 5th and 8th-grade science, as well as 8th-grade social studies.
This year's findings reveal a steady proficiency in reading-language arts among students in grades 3-8, maintaining the academic recovery momentum initiated in 2022 after the pandemic. In mathematics, the lingering impacts of the pandemic are still evident, yet this year's results showcase promising indicators that the comprehensive support provided by Texas public school systems is yielding positive outcomes. Notably, five out of the six assessed grade levels observed an uptick in the proportion of students meeting grade-level standards, while outcomes for Texas 6th graders aligned with those of 2022.
“Teachers across Texas continue to work with passion and skill to help students learn,” said Texas Education Commissioner, Mike Morath. “This year’s results show the efforts of our educators continue to deliver improved results for students.”
Emergent Bilingual (EB) students showed advancement in both mathematics and reading-language arts. In the field of mathematics, 32% of EB students achieved grade-level proficiency, while in reading, 35% reached the grade-level standard. Texas public schools retain their role in serving one of the most substantial populations of EB students nationwide, with 21% of the state's nearly 5.5 million public school students classified as Emergent Bilingual.
Students who receive special education services continue to display progress, with year-on-year advancements in grade-level proficiency across all subjects. The state is committed toto investing over $1.1 billion in supplementary annual funding for special education over the past seven years.
In 2023, significant changes were made to the STAAR assessments, aligning them more closely with classroom learning experiences. These modifications were implemented as a result of House Bill 3906, prompting the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to embark on a multi-year endeavor involving Texas teachers, educator advisory committees, students, parents and community members to reshape the STAAR.
The current iteration of the STAAR test for this year introduced items that resemble classroom-style questions, placed greater emphasis on writing skills, included a higher proportion of non-multiple-choice questions and facilitated online administration, with provisions made for students requiring paper-based accommodations. Consequently, this year's scores were released later in the summer than the usual timeline.
“We recommend parents log in and learn more about their child’s STAAR scores. Being fully informed about their child’s academic progress can help them work with their child’s teacher during the new school year,” Morath said.
