A student at Spring Creek Elementary in Dallas prepares for the STAAR test with a word exercise. (File Photo)
Staff Photographer
High schools in Collin County largely gained ground with this year’s STAAR tests, according to results released Wednesday. But several districts are still struggling to catch up to pre-pandemic student performance in Algebra I and U.S. history.
The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness end-of-course exams measure how students perform in five subjects: Algebra I, biology, English I, English II and U.S. history. Students must pass all five exams to graduate.
Statewide, the percentage of students scoring on grade level climbed across all five subject areas compared with last year.
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Here’s a look at how several major districts in Collin County performed.
Allen ISD
Students either held steady or posted gains in all categories compared with last year, but the district still trails pre-pandemic performance in Algebra I and U.S. history.
In Algebra I, 75% of students scored on grade level this year, compared with 70% last year and 81% in 2019. In biology, 89% scored on grade level this year, compared with 84% last year and 86% in 2019.
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In English I, 83% scored on grade level this year, compared with 80% last year and 81% in 2019. In English II, 79% of students scored on grade level this year, last year and in 2019. In U.S. history, 86% scored on grade level this year, compared with 85% last year and 92% in 2019.
Frisco ISD
Students posted at least modest gains in all subject areas, but still trail behind pre-pandemic norms in Algebra I and U.S. history.
In Algebra I, 76% of students tested on grade level, up from 72% last year, but still 10 points behind the district’s scores in 2019. In biology, 91% of students tested on grade level this year, up from 87% last year, and a one-point improvement over 2019.
In English I, 86% tested on grade level this year, up from 84% last year and 85% in 2019. In English II, 85% tested on grade level this year, up from 83% last year and 83% in 2019. In U.S. history, 89% tested on grade level, up from 88% last year and down from 94% in 2019.
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McKinney ISD
The district made gains or held steady across four of the five categories tested, and posted a one-point decline in English I. Students trailed pre-pandemic performance in Algebra I and U.S. history.
In Algebra I, 68% scored on grade level this year, compared with 63% last year and 74% in 2019. In biology, 80% scored on grade level this year, compared with 75% last year and 77% in 2019.
In English I, 69% scored on grade level this year, compared with 70% last year and 69% in 2019. In English II, 72% scored on grade level this year, compared with 70% last year and 69% in 2019. In U.S. history, 76% scored on grade level this year and last year, compared with 87% in 2019.
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Plano ISD
Students fared better than last year in all subjects but one, but scores were still mostly below those from before the pandemic in most categories.
In Algebra I, 60% tested on grade level this year, compared with 54% last year and 70% in 2019. In biology, 75% tested on grade level this year, compared with 73% last year and 75% in 2019.
In English I, 63% scored on grade level this year, compared with 65% last year and 71% in 2019. In English II, 68% scored on grade level this year, compared with 64% last year and 70% in 2019. In U.S. history, 81% scored on grade level this year, compared with 78% last year and 88% in 2019.
Prosper ISD
The district bested last year’s performance but lagged pre-pandemic scores in Algebra I and U.S. history.
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In Algebra I, 69% scored on grade level this year, compared with 63% last year and 87% in 2019. In biology, 91% scored on grade level this year, compared with 89% last year and 86% in 2019.
In English I, 85% scored on grade level this year, compared with 81% last year and 82% in 2019. In English II, 84% scored on grade level this year, compared with 79% last year and 77% in 2019. In U.S. history, 88% scored on grade level this year, compared with 86% last year and 91% in 2019.
Wylie ISD
Students topped last year’s scores in all categories but trailed pre-pandemic performance in U.S. history.
In Algebra I, 83% scored on grade level this year, compared with 77% last year and 82% in 2019. In biology, 85% scored on grade level this year, compared with 83% last year and 85% in 2019.
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In English I, 77% scored on grade level this year, compared with 75% last year and in 2019. In English II, 81% scored on grade level this year, compared with 71% last year and 73% in 2019. In U.S. history, 86% scored on grade level this year, compared with 85% last year and 91% in 2019.
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