District officials report mixed STAAR results, focus expanded math and literacy supports

Belton ISD administrators reported student performance on state STAAR tests and local Renaissance STAR assessments at the July 21 board meeting and outlined targeted instructional responses. Gabby Nino presented year-over-year results for grades 3'8. District staff identified third-grade math as an area of continuing concern, citing numerical-fluency gaps tied in part to pandemic-era learning impacts. Nino reported that the district did not meet its House Bill 3 target for third-grade math, though it did meet the third-grade reading target. She also highlighted variability at middle school math: seventh-grade math performance trails regional and state comparators in part because some students are placed on advanced pathways and take different assessments; eighth-grade math showed gains at meets and masters levels. Administrators described actions to address math performance: 100% of elementary teachers will participate in TEA math academies, a coaching academy for instructional coaches has begun, and the district has adopted Bluebonnet math materials with a staged implementation focused first on strengthening teacher content knowledge. For literacy, the district adopted a new K'5 language arts resource (Sabis) and said a recent grant ("Lasso Grant" referenced) of more than $100,000 will support implementation. Nino also reviewed Renaissance STAR screening results and early-grade targets the district uses as progress indicators, noting generally positive growth on those measures across many early grades but calling out first grade literacy and sixth grade ECR (extended constructed response) work as areas needing focus. Board members asked clarifying questions about cohort tracking and how changes in accelerated-pathway testing affect comparisons to state and region results. Administrators cautioned that some year-to-year changes reflect different cohorts and testing pathways, not only changes in instruction.