HISD students show across-the-board gains in all subjects on STAAR End-of-Course exams

The percentages of Houston Independent School District students who passed the spring 2019 STAAR End-of-Course (EOC) exams increased in all subject areas of the tests. Students took five exams covering Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II and U.S. History.  

Students at some of HISD’s lowest-performing schools made vast improvements on the Algebra I, Biology and U.S. History STAAR tests. 

There are four performance levels on STAAR tests: Did Not Meet grade level – failed, Approaches grade level – passed, Meets grade level – passed at a higher level, and Masters grade level – passed at the highest level. 

On the Algebra I exam, at chronically low-performing schools, 44 percent of students taking the test for the first time passed at the higher Meets level, a 17 percentage-point increase over last year. On the Biology test, 43 percent passed at the Meets level, a 13 percentage-point increase, and on the U.S. History exam, 51 percent scored at the Meets level, a 12 percentage-point increase over last year’s showing.  

“These impressive gains demonstrate that we are on the right track with our Achieve 180 schools,” said HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan. “I’m also pleased to see that across the board, with the exception of the English I exam, our students’ rates of improvement were equal to or greater than statewide rates of improvement.” 

Looking at all subjects, HISD students scored highest on the U.S. History test, with 91 percent of students testing for the first time, passing it at the Approaches level.  

Examining results by ethnicity shows that 50 percent of African-American students testing for the first time passed Algebra I at the Meets level, up 8 percentage points over last year. Sixty-five percent passed U.S. History at the Meets level, also up 8 percentage points over last year.  

Asian students posted their biggest gains on the English I exam, with 52 percent of first-time test takers passing at the Masters level, up 8 percentage points over last year. Eighty-five percent passed English II at the Meets level, up 7 percentage points. 

Fifty-four percent of Hispanic students taking the Biology test for the first time, passed at the Meets level, up 6 percentage points over last year, and 51 percent passed English II at the Meets level, also up 6 percentage points. Additionally, 38 percent of Hispanic students passed the U.S. History test at the Masters level, a 5 percentage-point improvement over last year.  

Thirty-nine percent of Anglo students taking the English I exam for the first time, passed at the Masters level, a 14 percentage-point increase over last year.  

Some notable achievements, by campus, for first-time as well as repeat test takers are: 

  • Kashmere High School students’ passing rate on the Algebra I test went up 15 percentage points at the Meets level and 9 percentage points at the Masters level. 
  • Worthing High School students made a 20 percentage-point leap in passing rates on the Biology test at the Approaches level and a 17 percentage-point leap in the subject at the Meets level. 
  • Sterling Aviation Early College High School students’ passing rate on the English II exam went up 16 percentage points at the Approaches level. 
  • North Forest High School students’ passing rates jumped 23 percentage points on the Algebra I test at the Approaches and Meets levels, and rose 10 percentage points at the Masters level. 
  • Madison High School students’ passing rate on the Algebra I test went up 15 percentage points at the Approaches level. 
  • Furr High School students’ passing rate on the Algebra I test jumped 26 percentage points at the Approaches level, and 19 percentage points at the Meets level.  
  • Liberty High School students made a 27 percentage-point leap on the U.S. History test at the Approaches level compared to last year and jumped 16 percentage points on the Biology test at the Approaches level. 
  • Middle College High School-Felix Fraga students’ passing rate on the U.S. History test increased 35 percentage points at the Meets level and 25 percentage points at the Approaches level. 
  • Middle College High School-Gulfton students posted a 24 percentage-point increase in passing rates on the English II test at the Approaches level, and a 16 percentage-point increase on the Algebra I test at the Approaches level. 

Students are required to pass STAAR EOC exams to graduate. The next testing opportunity is June 24-28.