Cypress‑Fairbanks Independent School District officials presented the district’s 2025 STAAR (grades 3–8) and end‑of‑course (EOC) results on Thursday, Sept. 4, reporting districtwide gains and an overall 85% accountability rating.

The presentation showed Cypress‑Fairbanks outperformed the state, Region 4 and many surrounding districts at the “approaches,” “meets” and “masters” performance levels across reading/ELA, mathematics, science and social studies, and the district had more distinction designations than comparable districts, according to the report. “We are pleased to share our 2025 STAAR EOC and accountability results, which shows substantial gains across several areas, which is a reflection of the hard work of our students, our teachers, and the support of our curriculum and instruction team,” said Dr. Gorey, the staff presenter for the accountability report.

District staff told trustees that Cypress‑Fairbanks ranked highest when compared to districts with similar or larger economically disadvantaged populations in the comparison set and that it was the only district in that group without any D‑ or F‑rated campuses. The presentation also said the district’s goal for the coming year is for all campuses to earn an A or B overall rating.

Trustees publicly commended campus leaders, teachers and support staff for the results. “It’s wonderful that we have the chance to thank you in person today,” Trustee Julie said during the meeting, praising campus leaders for growth measures and increases of more than five points at some schools. Other trustees similarly praised improvements in attendance and instruction and said curriculum review and targeted professional development will remain priorities to sustain growth.

The presentation noted ongoing district strategies including strengthening first‑time instruction, increasing academic rigor and discourse, and providing targeted professional development and personalized coaching for teachers. Staff said those strategies are part of curriculum review work carried out over the summer and will continue into 2025–26.

Board members did not take formal action on the accountability presentation that evening; the item was presented for information and discussion and will be part of the regular board meeting agenda on Monday, Sept. 8.

For context, the presenter summarized how campus distinction designations are determined: each campus is compared with a 40‑school comparison group across the state and distinctions are awarded to campuses in the top quartile of that group. The district document shown to trustees included comparative tables for enrollment, percent economically disadvantaged, the number of campuses with each letter rating, and counts of distinction designations.

Trustees said they want the district to continue monitoring the math results and to report back on progress tied to recent curriculum adoption work.