Introduction to STAAR Test Scores
Among the Houston area’s most populated school districts, many outperformed the state’s average STAAR test scores — but students in Aldine, Pasadena, and Spring trailed behind. The three school districts had smaller percentages of students "meet grade level" standards compared to Texas’ average for high school students in almost all subjects tested: Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II, and U.S. History. Pasadena ISD performed better than the state average in Algebra I.
Performance of School Districts
Katy ISD, west of Houston, performed the best among the region’s largest school districts in terms of its percentages of students meeting grade level standards in each subject. Katy ISD did especially well in U.S. History, with 85% of students meeting grade level. Cy-Fair ISD northwest of Houston and Conroe ISD, which is north of the city in Montgomery County, also did well compared to other large districts in the area. Both had around 80% of students meet standards in U.S. History and showed strong understanding in Biology — with 68% of students in Cy-Fair ISD and 74% of students in Conroe ISD meeting the mark.
Houston ISD Performance
Houston ISD, the state’s largest school district that has been under Texas Education Agency control since 2023, performed 5 percentage points worse than the statewide average in English I but was a little ahead of the curve in all other subjects. Duncan Klussmann, an associate professor in the University of Houston’s College of Education, said the scores are “what we would expect at this point” since they’re “starting to look more like normal trends after the pandemic.”
Comparison of Scores
HISD had a little more than half — 51% — of students meet the standard for Algebra I, compared to the statewide average of 47%. In Biology, 63% of HISD students met the mark, 1 percentage point higher than the state average. As for non-STEM subjects, 46% of HISD students met grade level for English I and 52% did for English II. The state averages for the subjects were 51% and 56% meeting grade level, respectively.
Expert Insights
“English appears that the high schools would be something that people need to focus on and to see why those scores have not improved the way that they would like them to improve,” Klussmann said. He added that the HISD scores serve as a sign that changes made by state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles, who was installed in 2023 along with a board of managers, are helping. “It appears that the reforms that are being put in place and some of the innovations are producing the results that they were hoping they would produce,” he said.
Conclusion
The STAAR test scores indicate a mixed performance among Houston area school districts. While some districts like Katy ISD and Cy-Fair ISD performed well, others like Aldine, Pasadena, and Spring trailed behind. Houston ISD showed improvement in some subjects but struggled with English. As Superintendent Mike Miles said, the test results are more than just numbers – they represent the ability of students to read, engage with the world, and pursue higher education or high-wage careers. The scores serve as a starting point for further improvement and innovation in the education system.
