Ector County ISD students showed improvement in spring 2023 STAAR results and End of Course exams, closing gaps with the state.
The STAAR and state accountability system were redesigned this year. The changes made to the state’s accountability system means comparisons to 2022 scores are not apples-to-apples, however, improvement is seen from 2022 to 2023 in the majority of tested areas, a news release said.
ECISD Superintendent Scott Muri said they got the STAAR results last week. The test looks at third through eighth grade students in math, reading and writing and all literacy skills in science and social studies.
They also got their end of course exams, which looks at the five EOCs that high school students must take to pass in each of those areas.
“We have really good news that celebrates the good work of our students and that celebrates the good work of our staff members. Some big takeaways at the high school level first. Our high school students improved when compared to last year in five of five academic areas,” Muri said.
“At the elementary and middle school level with STAAR exams, we have a total of 15 areas that we look at. ECISD students demonstrated improvement in 12 of those 15 areas comparing last year to this year. In one of those areas, we remained the same. And in two of those areas we showed a slight decline,” Muri said.
The state redesigned the STAAR test for this year, so it looked different for students.
“It was all computer based. Students had questions that required them to input data on their technology device that was very different from the way that they had done this before,” Muri said. “Many questions had multiple answers and so instead of the traditional pick of the correct answer, some of the questions were pick the answers that are correct. So that presented some new challenges and opportunities for students.”
There was also a lot of writing. Muri said the state did away with the traditional writing test, and embedded writing in each of the areas.
“Our students were typing third through high school many of their responses using their technology devices into the assessment, so it created some challenges and opportunities for kids. And even with all of that said, our students demonstrated some improvement,” Muri said.
He added that the state declined overall and ECISD improved. In reading language arts, ECISD improved.
In math, the state declined and ECISD improved.
“But the bigger message, I think, is the fact that we’re closing those gaps. We have been woefully behind the state for many, many years. Finally we’re doing the right kind of work that allows us not only to close the gaps, but to finally begin to get ahead. … Our goal is to not just meet the state where they are, but to become higher and achieve even more than the state is achieving,” Muri said.
Students took a different kind of test from last year. In the past, reading and writing have been separate tests.
“This year for the first time writing has been embedded in third through eighth grade. What you’re seeing, especially across the state is those writing scores have brought down the reading scores. It is no longer a reading test. It is now a literacy test because it is for reading as well as writing, embedded in singular assessments,” Muri said.
“There’s also writing in mathematics, writing in science and writing in social studies. Writing is integral and that is affected here. To compare this year’s tests to last year’s tests, it is apples and oranges,” Muri said.
He noted that the last spring’s test is different from the old one.
“It is completely computer based, so students have to complete everything online; different types of questions. Again, you and I may be accustomed to a multiple choice exam; pick the right answer. There are some multiple choice, but there could be many correct answers so kids have to choose those. There’s a whole lot of writing and typing that must be embedded, so responses to questions in which kids have to write their responses,” Muri said. “… Some tests require kids to move items around on the screen, so they actually have to drag and drop and and highlight texts. It requires some computer skills in order for kids to demonstrate mastery of content knowledge.”
He added that anytime you see a number where students did not meet standards, they need assistance from the district.
“This is the work of our teachers. It’s first of all to make sure that the kids are demonstrating that they’re at the passing level, that they continue to grow. But kids that did not meet or that weren’t successful on the exam that we understand specifically what their needs are and that we meet their needs,” he said.
“But this is a challenge I also want to issue to parents right now. One of the things that the state of Texas has done this year is they’ve created a brand-new parent portal. Today it’s available to every parent, guardian. They can log into their child’s account, their Texas account, and they have access to the entire assessment. So a mom and a dad can see every single question that their third grader, fourth-grader, fifth-grader was asked. They can see exactly how their child responded. They can actually read what their child wrote on the exam and then the parent can also see the correct answers. This is what your child should have written, or said, and then finally, how to help your child. If your child was not successful this particular website provides very specific information for the parent. These are things that you can do at home to ensure that your child is more successful. We’re going to do some work as a district to make sure that every single parent is well aware of this website, but it is fascinating and equips a parent with all the information that they need to support your child from home,” Muri said.
He noted that the district monitors progress in the subject areas on a regular basis and that allows teachers to make adjustments so they can effectively meet individual student needs.
“But you’ll see over time that we’re getting better and that’s what should happen. We’re at a certain level this year. Next year we fully expect, in every area, that we’re better next year than we are this year. That is always our opportunity,” Muri said.
He said there is still work to do.
“The good news is that we’re progressing and you can see that in our areas that we’re making the right kind of progress,” so they will double down on the work they are doing, Muri said.
Muri noted that it will be confusing for people when the letter grades for state accountability decline this year while the test scores improve.
“What we have to do is to ensure that our moms and dads and our community members understand that these data today indicate progress. Our school district is making the right kind of progress, the right way. The work that we’re doing, the investments that we’re making, is having a powerful effect on our kids and we see that. We cannot allow the state accountability system to defuse or destroy any of the progress that we’re making. It’s been five years and now the law says the accountability system has to change. That’s what’s happening. We know that things are going to be lower; schools are going to be rated lower; districts are going to be lower. But that doesn’t negate the fact that improvement is happening and so we just have to keep context in mind,” Muri said.
He added that the Measure of Academic Progress, or MAP tests help.
“Our opportunity as a continuous improvement organization is to make sure that we’re improving in every area pre-K through 12th grade. I don’t want anyone to think that we’ve arrived in any area. We’re on a constant improvement process, and that’s our organization. The STAAR test is given once a year, so we call it autopsy data. This is how your kids did, but it’s too late to fix any of that because they’re already off. Think about it. It’s August. This graph is sixth grade. Well, those kids are in seventh grade. They’ve moved on to another opportunity,” Muri said.
“The Measure of Academic Progress gives us real-time data. These are the kids you have sitting in front of you today and these are how these kids are performing today. As a teacher, you use those data to make adjustments. Oh my goodness, little Johnny doesn’t know how to add two-digit numbers. And I know that today, so tomorrow, I’m going to ensure that little Johnny knows how to add those two-digit numbers, so when it comes STAAR test time, if you will, little Johnny he’s mastered that skill and he’s able to perform. MAP is real-time data today. The STAAR test is autopsy data. This is how it went last year. Too late to fix it,” Muri said.
He added that these scores are the result of Team ECISD, the 4,200 employees and the students that are involved.
“It’s really celebrating those folks. The second thing I would talk about is, again, the parents. Moms and dads and guardians, there is a tremendous opportunity through the Texas portal for you to have access to your child’s information; not only how well they did, but question by question; what the question was; what your child answered; and then what you can do to help your child be more successful. We will be launching some activities and making sure that parents are well informed. But I would strongly encourage every parent of a third through high school student to access the portal. That’s to the Texas Education Agency to find out how your child did, but more specifically, learn what you can do as a parent to help your child be more successful. By partnering between our teachers, schools and our parents, good things will happen for our kids,” Muri said.
Sampling of STAAR, EOC results
Students must pass five End of Course exams as part of graduation requirements in Texas. Typically they are taken by freshmen through juniors. Passing means students achieved the state standard of approaches or higher. ECISD’s 2023 EOC results show the number of students who passed increase in all five of those EOC exams — Algebra I, English I, English II, biology and U.S. history.
End of Course results showed a 43 point gain. Algebra I in ECISD showed 70 percent passing (11 point gain); biology, 83 percent (6 point gain); english I, 60 percent (13 point gain); English II, 59 percent (4 point gain); U.S. history, 89 percent (9 point gain).
Statewide, End of Course results showed a 22 point gain. Algebra I passing rate was 78 percent (2 point gain); biology, 89 percent (6 point gain); English I, 71 percent (6 point gain); English II, 74 percent (2 point gain); U.S. history, 95 percent ( 6 point gain).
STAAR tests are also given in math and reading language arts (RLA) in grades 3-8, in science for 5th and 8th graders and social studies for eighth-graders.
Third grade RLA stayed the same at 65 percent; fourth grade was at 68 percent (a gain of 3 points); fifth grade, 73 percent (2 point gain); sixth grade, 68 percent (11 point gain); seventh grade, 65 percent (a 3 point loss); eighth grade, 75 percent (a 3 point gain). Overall, the district gained 16 points.
Third grade statewide was at 75 percent passing (1 point drop); fourth grade, 76 percent (a 1 point drop); fifth grade, 80 percent (1 point drop); sixth grade, 75 percent (5 point gain); seventh grade, 77 percent (3 point drop); eighth grade, 82 percent (1 point drop). Overall, the state declined 2 points.
Math 3-8 overall performance, ECISD gained 31 points and the state gained 6 points.
Third grade in ECISD was at 63 percent (1 point gain); fourth grade, 63 percent (1 point gain); fifth grade, 76 percent (6 point gain); sixth grade, 71 percent (6 point gain); seventh grade, 56 percent (2 point gain); eighth grade, 64 percent (15 point gain).
Third grade statewide in math was 72 percent (1 point gain); fourth grade, 69 percent (1 point loss); fifth grade, 79 percent (2 point gain); sixth grade, 74 percent (1 point gain); seventh grade, 61 percent (no change); eighth grade, 74 percent (3 point gain).
