Texas Education Agency releases annual report, highlights reading/math gaps and teaching pipeline strain

The Texas Education Agency presented its annual report and updated national assessment results at the State Board of Education meeting Feb. 27, highlighting persistent weaknesses in math proficiency and a growing reliance on uncertified teachers.

Commissioner Furr told the board the annual report is “the data that exists today” and “a common source of truth” about public education in Texas. He pointed to a set of headline figures in the report: about 52 percent of entering kindergartners demonstrate kindergarten readiness; roughly half of students meet grade level in reading by fourth grade while only about 42 percent meet grade level in math; and the state’s on‑time, four‑year graduation rate is near 90 percent.

Why it matters: The report is intended to give policymakers and districts a shared factual baseline as the legislature and the board weigh curriculum, funding and accountability changes. The agency underscored that the math declines seen on STAAR tests mirror long‑term trends visible on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Commissioner Furr said the 2024 NAEP data, released earlier that day, show the same pattern in eighth‑grade math that STAAR has tracked.

Key points from the presentation and board discussion: - Outcomes snapshot: The report shows 52 percent kindergarten readiness and a decline in math proficiency; the commissioner noted Texas remains among the top states for on‑time graduation (about 90 percent) and reported a 58 percent rate of fall enrollment in college the year after high‑school graduation for the class of 2021. The agency also noted growth in college‑career‑military readiness (CCMR).

- Teacher pipeline: The report flagged a dramatic increase in new teachers entering the classroom without state certification. “For the first year in state history, the majority of teachers who are new to the teaching profession started without any certification preparation whatsoever,” the commissioner said, and the agency noted uncertified teachers have higher turnover rates, which could increase district staffing instability.

- Special education demand: The agency said annual counts of initial special‑education evaluations have risen, partly because statutory changes expanded who must be evaluated (for example, students with dyslexia). The commissioner said districts report evaluation capacity strain and that a draft legislative proposal would provide a modest per‑evaluation payment (the draft language mentioned a potential $250 per evaluation figure) to help districts cover costs.

- School finance context: The commissioner walked the board through the mechanics of Texas school finance, including entitlement funding per student, the state’s role in equalizing funding, and so‑called recapture (revenue above entitlement). He clarified common public misunderstandings about the “basic allotment” and explained tier 2 pennies (golden and copper pennies) and their differing treatment for recapture and guaranteed yields.

- Assessments and transparency: TEA described the STAAR assessment system and the parent portal that allows families to see their child’s score, test items and — for constructed responses — the student’s written work and scoring documents. The commissioner said Texas aims for an unusually high level of testing transparency.

- NAEP release: The commissioner told the board the 2024 NAEP results had arrived that morning. He said the NAEP trends were “nigh on identical” to STAAR trends: reading is generally holding while secondary mathematics shows the deepest, prolonged shortfall. He described the NAEP release as coming “hot off the presses” and said TEA issued a related press release.

Board members pressed the commissioner on several operational points. Member Hickman asked about the yield and treatment of “golden pennies” (the commissioner said golden pennies are not subject to recapture). Member Francis asked whether the agency can track non‑college outcomes (employment or military) in the same way it tracks postsecondary credentials; the commissioner said TEA relies on credential and wage linkage from the Workforce Commission but does not have individual employment outcomes at scale. Members raised questions about special‑education costs, how districts should handle large evaluation backlogs, and how NAEP and STAAR align given differing standards.

Vitals and context: The commissioner emphasized the agency’s priorities — improving teacher recruitment/retention, early literacy and numeracy, career and college pathways, and focused support for lowest‑performing campuses — and described the annual report as a non‑promotional, data‑centered snapshot the agency produces each year. The report includes statewide counts, funding breakdowns, long‑term trends and an update on school safety programs.

What’s next: Board members asked TEA to follow up with additional data (for example, on uncertified teachers’ transition rates to certification and more granular special‑education evaluation impacts). The 2024 NAEP and the report’s figures will inform the board’s upcoming discussions of materials, accountability and legislative priorities.

Ending: Commissioner Furr closed by reiterating the agency’s goal: “every child prepared for success in college, career, and military when they graduate from our schools,” and invited board questions and further staff follow‑up.