Crosby ISD presents 2023–24 annual report with mixed reading and math results; district outlines action plan

Jacqueline Wabusky, a district staff member, opened a public hearing and presented Crosby Independent School District’s 2023–24 annual report, including the Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) data and related district measures.

Wabusky told the board the TAPR sections include performance levels by assessment, school progress (annual growth), participation and exclusions, attendance and graduation rates, college-, career- and military-readiness (CCMR) indicators, staffing and program information and a glossary of data sources. She said the TAPR does not display accountability ratings for 2024 because of ongoing litigation affecting state reporting rules.

Elementary performance measures drew the most attention at the hearing. Christina Castillo, the district’s elementary CNI director, reviewed board-adopted HB3 goals and the district’s midpoint data. For third-grade reading, Castillo reported the district’s 2024 STAR results showed 42% of students at “meets grade level or above” and 12% at “masters.” For the current school year, milestone assessments recorded 30% at Milestone 1 (November) and 38% at Milestone 2 (February) in the prior year. Castillo said kindergarten through third-grade midyear measures and instrument-specific results (Amplify and DRA) show variation by grade and campus.

On math, Castillo reported lower midyear measures. She said third-grade STAR math was 32% at “meets,” with Milestone 1 at 25% for the current year and Milestone 2 at 14% in 2024 at one point. Second-grade midyear math measures were 29% (compared with 13% the prior year), first grade 28% and kindergarten 35%.

Castillo described the district’s elementary action plan: focused TEKS training emphasizing student-expectation verbs; dedicated planning time with curriculum coordinators for alignment; staff development on questioning and vocabulary; use of Lead Forward resources; and teacher training in student engagement strategies (Teach Like a Champion). She said these actions have been in place since fall and are intended to raise midyear performance toward board goals set for June 2026.

Castillo also presented CCMR goals and interim results. For the 2024–25 school year the district’s CCMR goal was 71.5%. Castillo said the midyear CCMR rate was about 60% and that the district expects to meet or exceed its adopted year-end goal once seniors complete current coursework and industry-based certifications. She noted changes to the state’s definition of career readiness — from one course plus an industry certification to two program-of-study courses plus certification — have affected year-to-year comparisons. The district reported it is currently above its career-ready goal (goal 27%, current 38%) while college-ready midyear measures lag (goal 55%, midyear 26%).

On military readiness, Castillo said a new data-sharing arrangement between TEA and the Department of Defense will allow the district to receive enlistment confirmations directly, increasing the accuracy of that metric without requiring district staff to collect DD-4 paperwork.

After the presentation the board opened the floor to questions about which milestone data were being reported and when Milestone 2 testing would occur; staff confirmed Milestone 2 was scheduled to begin the week following the hearing. The public hearing closed with the presenter noting the full annual report binder and campus improvement plans are available at the operations center and online.

The public hearing record does not include formal board action on the TAPR; the board accepted the report for public review and closed the hearing.