Katy ISD Outperforms State on STAAR Test
Test scores released by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) from the 2012 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) accountability test for grades 3-8 show that Katy ISD outperformed the state in every grade level assessment. The district also exceeded the state passing rate by an average of 13 points.
“While we are very pleased that our students outperformed the state, that is not our only goal,” says Katy ISD Superintendent, Alton Frailey. “While we will remain competitive with our peer districts within the state accountability system, our primary objective is to provide each student high quality and comprehensive learning experiences.”
The following chart compares Katy ISD scores to the state passing rate. The district’s passing rates include STAAR English and Spanish version, as well as STAAR L, STAAR Modified and STAAR Alternate, which are taken by students in the Special Education Program. The state passing rates, however, only include STAAR assessments administered in English.
Katy ISD and State Passing Rates for 2012 STAAR | ||||||||||
Grades 3-8 | ||||||||||
Grade | Reading | Mathematics | Writing | Science | Social Studies | |||||
Katy ISD Passing Rate | *State Passing | Katy ISD Passing Rate | *State Passing | Katy ISD Passing Rate | *State Passing | Katy ISD Passing Rate | *State Passing | Katy ISD Passing Rate | *State Passing | |
Rate | Rate | Rate | Rate | Rate | ||||||
3 | 89% | 76% | 82% | 68% | – | – | – | – | – | – |
4 | 91% | 77% | 85% | 68% | 87% | 71% | – | – | – | – |
5 | 90% | 77% | 91% | 77% | – | – | 88% | 73% | – | – |
6 | 88% | 75% | 87% | 77% | – | – | – | – | – | – |
7 | 88% | 76% | 86% | 71% | 86% | 71% | – | – | – | – |
8 | 89% | 80% | 81% | 76% | – | – | 84% | 70% | 78% | 59% |
Data Sources: Katy ISD passing rates include STAAR English and Spanish versions, STAAR L, STAAR Modified and STAAR Alternate.
*State passing rates include English Test Version only: from TEA News Release by Commissioner Williams on January 30, 2013.
The STAAR test assesses student performance based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) learning objectives developed by the TEA. Because students took the STAAR test for the first time in 2012, test scores will not count in any way toward a student’s 2012-2013 state testing results, regardless if they passed or failed the test. The TEA is currently in the process of developing a new accountability system for the 2013 – 2014 school year. Additionally, the TEA will not be assigning accreditation status to school districts in 2012-13.
During the next two weeks, parents will receive their child’s Confidential Student Report, which provides a summary of how their child performed. Because the STAAR assessments are new and more rigorous than past TAKS assessments, many parents may see test scores that differ from previous TAKS test results.
“The change in scores is not a reflection of the education that students receive as we continue to provide high-quality instruction that students and parents expect in Katy ISD,” says Katy ISD’s Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Christine Caskey. “Not only is STAAR more rigorous than TAKS, this was the first time students saw the format of the new test. As students and teachers become more familiar with STAAR, we anticipate that future scores will improve.”
Students who participate in the 2013 spring administration of STAAR will receive a new Confidential Student Report near the end of the 2013 school year. The 2013 spring administration of the STAAR will be the first set of test results that will count toward a student’s state testing performance.
