Preliminary 2025 STAR results show mixed gains across grades; district flags retesters and resource‑class performance

CASTLEBERRY ISD leaders presented preliminary May 2025 STAR results and a district analysis of cohort and campus trends, noting areas of notable gains alongside shortfalls that will shape summer supports and staffing plans.

The results matter for accountability, summer programming and hiring: the district reported strong gains in some elementary and middle‑school classrooms but said retester populations and performance in resource (special education) settings remain a high‑priority operational issue.

Whitney Harper and Scott Hutchings gave the presentation and cautioned that district numbers were preliminary and that the state had not yet released test items required for full analysis. Hutchings pointed to specific campus gains — for example, Joy James Academy showed double‑digit cohort gains in some grades — and said district fourth‑grade math and elementary math cohorts had notable improvements. "Our fourth grade RLA was a clear area of celebration," Harper said, noting strong growth across campuses and that veteran teachers contributed to the performance.

Administrators reported progress reducing the number of retesters: "We took the retester, that's the RETS column. We had 55 retesters last year after this testing session. We're down to 25," Hutchings said, describing district efforts to lower the retester cohort. But board members and staff singled out persistent issues in resource and ESOL support: Hutchings and others said resource‑class pass rates were lower than desired and that the district had increased the number of students receiving resource services, which affects overall accountability results in courses such as Algebra I and English I. Board members pressed for a clearer, districtwide retester plan and asked for details on who will attend summer school and how retesters will be supported.

Administrators described personnel steps tied to assessment outcomes: they have hired or plan to hire multiple teachers in targeted departments (for example, three hires into the social‑studies department at middle school) and are seeking to encourage content teachers to obtain special‑education certification; the district said it will reimburse teachers who pass SPED certification after volunteering for training. The board also discussed targeted interventions such as pull‑out sessions, boot camps and expanded summer programs.

Other highlights in the presentation included strong middle‑school science gains and high performance in the accelerated STEM cohort; high school areas showed mixed results with improved pass rates in some retester groups but drops in other subjects. Laura Guzman reported early TELPAS (English language proficiency) results showing substantial gains in speaking and writing by emerging bilingual students and growth in potential reclassification candidates on several campuses.

Ending: Administrators described the STAR results as an early look and said they will return with a deeper analysis once the state releases test materials; the board asked for a detailed summer retester plan and additional staffing updates before the start of the next school year.