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District reports gains in third‑grade reading and math benchmarks; English reading exceeds 40% goal
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Summary
Presenters told trustees third‑grade STAR benchmark results show English reading performance surpassing the district goal (40%); combined English/Spanish reading and math benchmarks put the district close to or at targets with interventions planned including small groups, Saturday school and curriculum adoption.
Castleberry ISD leaders on April 6 reported benchmark results and the district’s improvement plan measures for third‑grade reading and math.
Kristen Smith, third‑through‑fifth grade ELA coordinator, told the board the district’s performance‑objective goal is to raise the percentage of third graders meeting STAR reading expectations from 36 percent (June 2025 baseline) to 40 percent by June 2026, combining English and Spanish scores. Smith noted the district’s most recent benchmark (benchmark 3) is the same assessment as STAAR 2025 and said district results show the English subset has already surpassed the 40 percent target while Spanish scores were at 33 percent. "Our trajectory... is a strong indicator that our work is currently moving in the right direction," she said.
Whitney Harper, lead elementary coordinator, reviewed math benchmark 3: the district is at 33 percent for third‑grade 'meets' on STAR, one percentage point below the 34 percent goal for June 2026. Harper described immediate interventions that begin the following day: targeted small‑group instruction, campus academic leader pull‑outs, ACE after‑school tutoring, high‑impact Saturday school sessions, and professional learning to support a new K–5 math adoption.
Both presenters said the district will transition to Bluebonnet materials for grades 3–5 reading (teacher introductions and summer professional learning planned) and will continue coaching and implementation visits next year with Region 11 supports. Trustees asked about testing timelines; Harper confirmed STAR reading is next Tuesday and STAR math on April 28 for elementary grades.
