AUSTIN, Texas — Results from the STAAR tests are in, and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) reports that scores for math and science are down across all grade levels.
That pattern is clear when looking at scores for Austin ISD. In the spring of 2019, 69% of the district's students who took the Algebra I STAAR test met their grade level. This year, that number dropped drastically, to just 39%.
Fifth grade teacher Dominic Milazzo doesn't think the test accurately measures a student's progress, considering it was redesigned last year.
"It's a completely different assessment. It's apples and oranges. You cannot compare the two, and we still were never given time to recover from COVID," Milazzo said. "It seems like everything is stacked against the student. It seems like that the test is designed, it's either designed for the students to fail or the people designing it are not really aware of what's going on in the world."
RELATED: Texas high school students did about the same on this year's STAAR test compared to last year's
KVUE reached out to Austin ISD for an interview. The district declined to speak on camera but provided the following information:
"Results of the 2024 STAAR are now available and show Austin ISD, along with other Texas school districts, still struggling to get scores back on track post-pandemic.
Why it matters: While test scores aren’t the only measure of academic knowledge, the tests show how our students are mastering course material so we can create plans to address gaps in knowledge.
What they’re saying: “For us it’s a data point,” said Superintendent Matias Segura. “The STAAR is a tool that helps us understand where we are and how we compare to other school districts around the state.”
By the numbers: 2024 scores for the district show an increase in reading proficiency from June 2019, but a decrease in math scores.
Sixth grade test scores showed the greatest margin of increase in reading proficiency from 39% to 54%.
Third grade math tests scores from Spring 2019 to Spring 2024 show a decrease of 10 percentage points, from 52% to 42%.
Closing the gap: Austin ISD uses a balanced assessment system to have a fuller picture of our students’ progress. Teachers are continuously collecting data on students to monitor and adjust teaching and learning. And ultimately, students' learning needs have changed in a post-pandemic climate.
Here’s how we’re changing our tactics to support students:
Professional Development: We’re investing in ongoing professional development where teachers can learn how to effectively teach challenging concepts.
For example, the STEM and Humanities departments offered Just In Time Trainings for teachers during the 2023–24 school year, which gives teachers an opportunity to preview upcoming units, learn new strategies and plan for new learning.
Intervention Programs: We’re also implementing intervention programs tailored to students who are struggling so we can provide additional support and resources.
These programs may include small-group instruction, after school programs or targeted online resources.
What’s Next: The district is revamping our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support which will ensure we’re providing nurturing learning environments, instruction and support tailored to our students’ unique needs.
For more information about STAAR or to access your child’s test results, please visit the Texas Education Agency’s Texas Assessment website."
Heather Sheffield with the Association of Texas Professional Educators said the test does not show the full story.
"It's not really the full picture of how a student is actually doing in that class or that grade level and so, it's really important to take that in account that you need to be looking at other benchmark data as well as their classwork," Sheffield said.
The Texas Education Agency declined to speak on camera due to scheduling but provided the following statement:
STAAR results allow parents, teachers, and schools to see how individual students are performing so they can better support those students moving forward. Only in Texas can parents access each question their child was asked, how their child answered each question on the test and specific recommendations to support their child’s academic growth. Results also give education leaders and policymakers across Texas a comprehensive picture of how students are performing, which can help policymakers craft solutions that prioritize the academic needs of our students. The STAAR has been designed so that it better aligns with strong instructional practices, while still accurately measuring student mastery, and has been proven valid, reliable, aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), with passage readability on grade-level. In addition, STAAR is required by both state and federal law.
Milazzo is still convinced the STAAR needs a revamp.
"Do an assessment of the STAAR to see if, you know – because I'm 100% positive it's going to be found to be not fair for the students," Milazzo said.
State lawmakers have debated bills that would audit the STAAR test, most recently in 2021.