Classes started this week for George West ISD with a somewhat healthy STAAR report card on hand from this spring to inspire students, staff and faculty.
STAAR stands for State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. For Grades 3 to 8, statewide assessment is provided for mathematics, reading, writing, science and social studies. For high school students, STAAR EOC assessments measure students’ academic performance in core high school courses, which include Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology and U.S. History. These assessments became connected to graduation requirements with the freshman class of 2011-2012, according to state data.
Students must take STAAR EOC assessments for each course in which they are enrolled as part of their graduation requirements.
George West ISD Superintendent Roland Quesada said, “I believe the STAAR data for 2022 shows that George West ISD is providing a strong foundation in reading and math, especially at the early grades. This foundation will serve our kids well as the STAAR Redesign 2.0 kicks off this school year.”
He said this success is especially important in that the district did better in comparison to both the region and the state.
Results for this year were released in late June. For example, for George West ISD and the students testing for Algebra 1, 21 students did not meet the standard, 79 approached the standard, 50 met the standard, and 34 showed mastery of the subject area. For George West ISD Grades 3-8 for reading, only 10 students did not meet the standard, 90 students approached the standard, 75 students met the standard and 27 students showed a mastery of reading. For mathematics, five students did not meet the standard, 95 students approached the standard, 82 students met the standard, and 17 students showed mastery of the subject. For Region 2 of which George West ISD is a part, the average scale score for Reading was 1451 but George West ISD students posted 1531 for their average scale score. For mathematics, George West ISD students had an average scale score of 1584 comscale score of 1584 compared to Region 2’s 1428.
In a press release, Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath stated, “These results provide encouraging evidence that the academic recovery plans adopted by the Texas Legislature and implemented by our state’s 370,000 dedicated teachers are working for our students.”
He added that more work still needs to be done in the state in the post-COVID-19 period to make up ground lost during the pandemic.
Taking tests is daunting with or without a pandemic, but the tests were canceled in 2020. Brought back to the desktop in 2021, educators noticed that students working from remote locations, including their homes, often with limited Internet, experienced difficulties and scores reflect that circumstance.
In an effort to combat that decline, the Texas Legislature last year passed House Bill 4545 which created a mandate for districts to provide students with a minimum of 30 hours of what was termed targeted instruction designed to address the number of STAAR test subject areas a student may have underperformed on in 2021. That is a complicated task at best for districts.
For parents interested in specific information regarding their children and their performance on the STAAR tests if they were taken in May, scores are available in the Texas Assessment portal online. Most students should have received results from their campuses by now but it is still possible to log into the portal and retrieve results.
The Student Access Code is located on all STAAR Student Report Cards. It is a number that does not change and is issued to the student when they take the STAAR tests for the first time. For many students, that occurred during their third grade year in school. To log in, go to http://texasassessment.gov. At this point, those seeking scores will be asked for an access code. If one does not have the unique access code on hand, it is recommended to click on “Find my unique student access code.” Enter the following requested information: first name, SSN (no dashes), and date of birth and hit GO. Write down and save the access code for future use. One may then click on each subject to see a breakdown of the scores and to click on and download report cards to see the entire report card.
The Texas Education Agency will use the data from this round of tests to “show families and teachers how disruptions to instruction over the past year impacted learning.” This coming year, results may be utilized in teachers working with families to create academic goals that will encourage progress.
It is important to note that for this year, the STAAR results are not going to be used to evaluate teachers or grade schools. The statistics available will be utilized for learning and understanding the entire picture of what COVID-19 may have impacted and the areas where school systems must take action. Visit TexasAssessment.gov for your child’s STAAR results.
In a letter to the district, Quesada stated, “As we begin another exciting school year in GWISD, I want to express my sincere gratitude to all our employees who bring their best every day to educate the children of George West. I am also thankful for the parents and community in Live Oak County and George West. They are the most supportive community I have ever worked with in my 35 years in education. With partners like the George West Education Foundation, the City of George West, Lion’s Club and the George West Chamber of Commerce, we are surrounded by excellence.”
•baudet@mysoutex.com•
