Harlandale ISD trustees hear mixed STAR results; district plans new curriculum and coaching after math declines

Harlandale Independent School District officials on Tuesday told the board of trustees that spring benchmark results showed gains in several tested subjects but a notable decline in mathematics, and they outlined steps the district will take including stronger instructional coaching, a k–8 math curriculum planning grant and a phased rollout of a new reading curriculum.

District staff led a data presentation on student outcomes, saying science, biology, social studies and parts of English language arts showed measurable increases on district STAR benchmarks. Justin Postles, the district’s secondary English language arts coordinator presenting mathematics data, told trustees that “the meets performance decreased by 5.7%” districtwide in middle‑school math when comparing STAAR 2024 to the 2025 district benchmark; high‑school Algebra I meets performance fell by 10.9 percentage points across the district.

Why it matters: board members said math performance is a major concern because it affects state accountability, long‑term college and career readiness and the district’s ability to attract and retain students. District leaders described targeted interventions — including daily pacing guides, progress tracking with high‑reliability assessments, teacher coaching and a district‑level plan to adopt a new k–8 math curriculum through a planning grant — as the next actions.

What the board heard - Science and biology: Matthew Simons, the district’s secondary coordinator for science, reported districtwide gains in eighth‑grade science and high‑school biology meets levels, and singled out specific campuses with…