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District reports gains in early-reading cohorts; STAR test redesign still clouded results
Summary
Round Rock ISD told trustees that early‑grade intervention and curriculum changes have yielded year‑to‑year growth for cohorts who stayed in the district, though changes to state testing in 2023 complicate direct score comparisons.
Round Rock ISD officials told trustees the district’s early-literacy and early-math monitoring shows measurable gains in cohorts that remain enrolled, but statewide testing changes have complicated comparisons across years.
Dr. Nichols (presenting the district’s board goal monitoring report) and the district’s teaching-and-learning staff presented mid‑year results for kindergarten through second grade, including progress measured by MCAS (early-literacy screener) and AIMSweb Plus (early numeracy). The district’s third‑grade board goal is the percentage of students scoring “meets grade level and above” on the STAAR third‑grade reading exam; the district set a 2025 third‑grade target of 70% and described progress measures in K–2 as the primary way to track toward that goal.
The presentation highlighted three items trustees should know: (1) cohort growth — students who remain in the district have shown strong year‑over‑year gains (an example cohort rose from 58% at kindergarten to 75% in current second‑grade measures); (2) state test redesign effects — the 2023 STAR (STAAR redesign) moved to a mix of open‑ended responses, cross‑curricular passages and different scoring rules (including increased weight on higher‑level items and AI‑assisted scoring), which depressed scores statewide and complicates direct comparisons with previous years; and (3) math results — kindergarten and first grade show improvement and remain on track for their targets, but second grade’s midyear trend may fall short of the district’s 82% end‑of‑year goal.
District staff said the MCAS redesign and new question formats (short answer, extended response, evidence‑based writing) and scoring changes reduced scores across the state; to respond, the district aligned instruction to the science of reading, added cross‑curricular reading passages, trained teachers on constructed-response scoring and embedded more rigorous items and practice in the curriculum. For math, staff have implemented Eureka Math and I‑Ready diagnostics (third and eighth grade) and increased use of targeted interventions aligned to observed gaps.
Trustees praised the cohort gains; Trustee Landrum singled out a cohort that gained dramatically across K–2. Trustees also asked about I‑Ready use and parent concerns about requiring students to complete the diagnostic during advisory periods; staff said they will refine scheduling guidance and communication for next year. Trustees asked about full online testing and whether students could use scrap paper during online assessments; staff said students may use scrap paper for working but must record answers on the testing platform.
Why it matters: The board’s strategic goals include raising the percentage of students at or above Meets on third‑grade reading. District leaders said steady, monitored gains in K–2 cohorts indicate the system’s interventions are producing results, but that statewide test redesign makes year‑to‑year comparisons imperfect and requires curriculum and assessment adjustments at every grade.
Ending note: Staff said the district will continue to monitor cohorts, refine intervention placement and adjust communication to parents about diagnostic tools and testing format.
