Fort Worth schools have achieved their strongest STAAR performance to date, with high-poverty schools leading the way. Across STAAR exams taken by third through eighth graders who attend schools in the city, 39% of test results met or exceeded proficiency in reading, math, science, and social studies.

Improvement in Reading Proficiency

Reading proficiency reached 48% — also a record — while math remained at 36%. The report found 78% of campuses with very high rates of low-income students gained ground. Fewer than half of campuses where less than 50% of students are low income improved.

Brent Beasley, president and CEO of the Fort Worth Education Partnership, said the result is its highest citywide mark on record, exceeding 2019 results by a narrow 0.2 percentage points. Beasley cautioned against claiming those efforts alone caused this year’s increase, saying he believes the recent gains reflect increased attention from schools and the broader community to improving academic performance after years of stagnant or declining results.

Focus on Core Instruction and Support

Fort Worth ISD leaders have pointed to improving reading results while acknowledging that math has been slower to move. The district’s approach going forward will emphasize strong core instruction, accelerated learning, frequent use of student data, and support for classroom teachers.

Original reporting: Fort Worth Report — read the source article.