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Belton ISD midyear report: 3rd‑grade math at 38% versus HB 3 target of 43%; district outlines classroom interventions
Summary
Cabinet presented a midyear academic update showing 3rd‑grade meets/masters math at 38% (target 43% under House Bill 3). District leaders described cohort gains in upper grades, persistent gaps for emerging bilingual students and steps including a daily reasoning routine, targeted coaching and four waves of classroom observation.
Belton Independent School District leaders told trustees Jan. 27 that midyear math data show steady gains in some cohorts but that 3rd‑grade students remain short of the district’s House Bill 3 target.
Gabby, a district cabinet member who delivered the academic progress presentation, said the district uses TEA interim assessments and district benchmarks to monitor progress. "Currently, our 3rd grade students' performance at meets and masters ... is at 38%," Gabby said, noting the HB 3 target for 3rd grade is 43% by 2025.
Gabby and other administrators stressed that comparisons are cohort‑based (different students year to year) and pointed to notable growth in the 4th→5th and 5th‑grade cohorts. She highlighted that students most affected by pandemic disruptions—those now in elementary grades—show gaps in numerical reasoning and multistep problem solving.
To address those gaps, district staff described several actions: embedding a daily reasoning routine into the instructional block, training every instructional coach and math content lead, providing professional learning for teachers, and conducting four waves of classroom observations by campus leadership. Gabby said those steps have allowed staff to identify classroom‑level needs quickly and implement targeted interventions.
Trustees asked detailed questions about the observation cadence and assessment literacy. Gabby clarified that the observations are conducted by principals and instructional leadership teams and that the district differentiates between interim assessments (progress monitoring) and comprehensive benchmarks used to guide instruction and interventions.
Gabby also flagged persistent performance gaps for emerging bilingual students and said the district will convene principals to develop targeted action plans. "Tomorrow we are digging deeper to that data with our principals to put some strong action in place for that," she said.
The presentation emphasized that while some measures show promising growth, the district remains short of the 3rd‑grade HB 3 meets/masters target and will continue monitoring and adjusting instruction through the spring semester. No formal action was taken beyond the ongoing implementation of the described interventions.
