Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Assessment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Judson ISD presents preliminary STAAR, NWEA data showing mixed growth and specific grade-level gaps
Summary
District leaders presented early STAAR and NWEA results June 8, highlighting gains in some grades and subject areas but pronounced drops in third‑grade math, seventh‑grade math, and eighth‑grade social studies; staff outlined LIFT coaching, targeted walkthroughs, and a summer teacher feedback process to plan corrective actions before final accountability files arrive.
Judson ISD officials presented preliminary spring assessment results at a special June 8 board meeting, saying early domain‑one (achievement) STAAR data and NWEA screener results show both progress and troubling gaps that require immediate district action.
"We are intentionally building a story over time," said Dr. Duhart‑Toppen, describing the packet as "chapter one" of the data the district will share before final accountability ratings are released in August. Denise Orosco‑Jones, the district assessment lead, emphasized the limits of the current files: "What we have today is early achievement — this is not our look at final accountability," she said, noting STAAR Alternate 2 and performance‑level indicator files were still pending.
Presenters pointed to bright spots and areas of concern. NWEA (MAP) results showed median percentile gains in math districtwide, with some cohorts moving from the mid‑30s to roughly the 50th percentile, Dr. Saunders said. At the same time, the STAAR early counts flagged declines in key grades and subjects: third‑grade math decreased year‑to‑year, seventh‑grade math showed a notable drop tied to more complex, literacy‑heavy items, and eighth‑grade social studies remains below district targets.
Trustees pressed staff on root causes and near‑term remedies. Staff said analysis of released test items shows seventh‑grade items required more conceptual problem solving and reading comprehension; those findings prompted plans for vertical alignment of math vocabulary and targeted summer sessions. The district described steps already under way: expanded instructional rounds, more actionable walkthrough feedback, coaching assignments under the LIFT (Leadership Instructional Foundations for Texas) grant, and summer convenings to collect teacher feedback directly.
Board members also discussed MTSS and remediation logistics under House Bill 1416, which requires districts to provide accelerated instruction for students who did not pass STAAR. "We have to decide what our district is going to do in the face of the preliminary data," Dr. Duhart‑Toppen said, outlining "keep, modify, commit" categories for existing practices.
Trustee concerns were direct. "If we couldn't get it under unlimited money, how are we going to get done with less of everything?" said Trustee Poteet, urging urgency and bold action to avoid state intervention. Staff responded that growth files (domain two) typically supply the bulk of accountability points and that the district must wait for those files to understand final campus ratings.
Next steps: district staff said they will continue to analyze incoming files (STAAR Alt 2 and performance levels), convene teacher cohorts this summer to diagnose root causes, provide monthly updates to the board on curricular adjustments, and use LIFT‑funded coaches to support principals and tier‑one instruction.
