High school students in the Fort Worth Independent School District held steady or improved in all but one category on this year’s final exams, according to results released Friday.
High school students throughout Texas are required to take STAAR final exams in English I, English II, Algebra I, Biology and American History as part of their graduation requirements.
In Fort Worth ISD, the percentage of students scoring at grade level on the exam remained stable for Algebra and English I. In biology, 36% of students scored at grade level, four points more than last year. And in English II, 44% of students scored at level, an increase of five points compared to last year. The only subject where scores dropped was U.S. History, where 56% of students scored at grade level, compared to 60% last year.
Fort Worth ISD’s results roughly mirror those from across Texas. Statewide, scores were flat for Algebra, Biology and English I. The number of Texas students who met the English II level rose four points compared to last year, and the number of students who met the American History level , fell by two points.
The results also revealed the areas where students have caught up during the pandemic and the areas where they continue to struggle. In four of the five subject areas tested, the number of Texas students meeting the level exceeded or approached that of spring 2019, the last round of testing before the pandemic. But in algebra, only 45% of students passed grades this year, a drop of 17 points from pre-pandemic levels.
A similar trend occurred in Fort Worth ISD, with only 20% of students meeting the pre-algebra level this year, the same percentage as last year. That total represents a decline of 28 points from spring 2019.
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said the results highlight the importance of investing in research-backed education strategies. State education officials are working hard to help students recover from the academic impacts of the pandemic, he said.
“The 2024 STAAR End-of-Course Results highlight both the progress Texas students and educators have made and the challenges that remain in helping students improve outcomes, which can only come from robust assessment and accountability system,” Morath said. “While we celebrate progress in English II, we must also recognize areas where student performance has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels.”
Gabe Grantham, policy advisor for the advocacy group Texas 2036, said the lack of progress in algebra indicates that Texas students are still struggling to recover in math. He acknowledged that state lawmakers have taken steps toward a solution, but said more needs to be done to support teachers, students and families.
“With 55% of our students taking Algebra 1 below the Algebra 1 level, we run the risk of students being ill-equipped to enter the future workforce without the basic math skills needed to be successful,” Grantham said.
Parents can view their children’s individual results at TexasAssessment.gov.
