Boerne ISD students continue to outpace their regional and state peers when it comes to STAAR testing.
During the August board of trustees meeting, Chief Instructional Officer Larissa Flores reviewed 2021-22 data and said that in general, today’s students have recovered the knowledge lost during the COVID-19 pandemic and are faring better when compared to others.
“We want our kids to meet their grade level,” Flores said during her presentation. “That’s our goal.”
The results are from assessments taken in April and May toward the end of the previous academic year.
The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, is the state testing program that was implemented in the 2011-12 academic year. The Texas Education Agency (TEA), in collaboration with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and Texas educators, developed the STAAR program in response to requirements set forth by the 80th and 81st Texas legislatures.
The program is designed to measure the extent to which students have learned and are able to apply the knowledge and skills defined in the state-mandated curriculum standards, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
It includes annual assessments for reading and mathematics, grades 3–8; science at grades 5 and 8; social studies at grade 8; and end-of-course assessments for English I, English II, Algebra I, biology and U.S history.
“This presentation is meant to keep the BISD board members apprised of student results from the 2022 STAAR assessments and the State Accountability Ratings,” Flores said.
The accountability ratings gave BISD an overall “A” and all but two of its campuses the top ranking as well.
Earlier this year, Flores reported that BISD students continued to make progress and in many areas have made up the ground lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, she used preliminary 2022 STARR results.
She reminded the trustees that student success is one of the four elements making up BISD’s 2021-22 scorecard. Specifically, that success is geared toward preparing students to be college, career and military ready.
“STAAR tests are designed to measure what students are learning in each grade and whether or not they are ready for the next grade,” TEA’s information reads. “The goal is to ensure that all students receive what they need to be academically successful.”
TEA also states that meeting the individual student needs depends greatly on schools, parents and community members working together.
In her earlier report, Flores discussed information that compared BISD students before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. It showed that at the end of the academic year in 2019, 68 percent of the district’s students – in all grades and subject areas tested – were at the “meets” testing level. “Meets” is the standard BISD sets for all of its students. A year ago, 62 percent of students were meeting the criteria. This year, the number increased to 67 percent.
Flores has emphasized the district’s goals are set at the “meets” level of the STAAR assessments. There also is an “approaches” category and a “masters” category.
“The 2022 STAAR results and the overall BISD accountability rating of an ‘A’ is truly remarkable,” Flores told The Star. “This most recent rating, along with the 21 districtwide distinction designations, was a validation of the extraordinary and focused work classroom teachers and campus leaders ensured to bounce back from the COVID-19 school disruption.”
District 20 covers 19 counties and almost 100 school districts in and around the San Antonio area, information from the Texas Education Agency stated.
STAAR data review
Following are the STARR results comparing all BISD students tested with Region 20 and across the state. The percentages are the number of students at the “meets” level.
• Grade 3 math: BISD, 61 percent; Region 20, 37 percent; state, 42 percent.
• Grade 4 math: BISD, 57 percent; Region 20, 37 percent; state, 41 percent.
• Grade 5 math: BISD, 67 percent; Region 20, 42 percent; state, 46 percent.
• Grade 6 math: BISD, 62 percent; Region 20, 33 percent; state, 37 percent.
• Grade 7 math: BISD, 63 percent; Region 20, 25 percent; state, 29 percent.
• Grade 8 math: BISD, 56 percent; Region 20, 31 percent; state, 38 percent.
• Grade 3 reading: BISD, 71 percent; Region 20, 49 percent; state, 52 percent.
• Grade 4 reading: BISD, 69 percent; Region 20, 51 percent; state, 54 percent.
• Grade 5 reading: BISD, 75 percent; Region 20, 55 percent; state, 57 percent.
• Grade 6 reading: BISD, 58 percent; Region 20, 40 percent; state, 42 percent.
• Grade 7 reading: BISD, 74 percent; Region 20, 52 percent; state, 54 percent.
• Grade 8 reading: BISD, 74 percent; Region 20, 54 percent; state, 56 percent.
• Grade 5 science: BISD, 59 percent; Region 20, 34 percent; state, 37 percent.
• Grade 8 science: BISD, 74 percent; Region 20, 40 percent; state, 43 percent.
• Grade 8 social studies: BISD, 47 percent; Region 20, 27 percent; state, 29 percent.
End of course
Boerne students also easily outperformed the region and state in end-of-course exams in all subject areas.
• Algebra 1: BISD, 59 percent; Region 20, 34 percent; state, 37 percent.
• English 1: BISD, 74 percent; Region 20, 47 percent; state, 48 percent.
• English 2: BISD, 82 percent; Region 20, 57 percent; state, 57 percent.
• Biology: BISD, 78 percent; Region 20, 58 percent; state, 58 percent.
• U.S. history: BISD, 86 percent; Region 20, 71 percent; state, 71 percent.
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