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Pflugerville ISD reports mixed 2023–24 academic results, highlights CCMR gains and middle‑grade declines
Summary
At a board meeting, district staff reported a 25,000‑student enrollment base, early‑grade gains in kindergarten math and mixed STAAR outcomes with notable declines in some middle grades; the district highlighted a 12‑point CCMR gain for the class of 2023 and outlined strategies including targeted professional learning and coaching.
Dr. Olivares presented Pflugerville ISD's 2023–24 end‑of‑year academic report to the board, summarizing student achievement, demographic shifts and next steps. The district reported enrollment around 25,297 students and said it had not yet returned to pre‑pandemic levels. Dr. Olivares called out a 17% increase in kindergarten on‑track math performance and smaller gains on several early‑grade reading measures.
On standardized testing, the presentation said math gains were seen in some elementary grades (2–10 percentage points year‑over‑year) but that sixth grade experienced a steep decline in math performance. STAAR 3‑60 reading and mathematics showed a mix of modest gains in a few grades and declines in others; the presenter cautioned trustees that state and regional trends show similar drops. he also said special education and emergent bilingual student groups had larger declines (roughly 6–8 percentage points) in some content areas.
The district highlighted a substantial improvement in college, career and military readiness (CCMR) for the class of 2023 — a 12‑percentage‑point increase — while noting district CCMR and graduation metrics still lag the state and region by about 7–8 points. Several high schools produced strong CCMR growth, led by a 21% gain at one campus and 20% at another, according to the presentation.
Trustees pressed for explanations for middle‑grade declines and asked whether testing pathways (students taking courses above grade level) and vocabulary demands on multi‑step math items contributed to the results. Dr. Olivares said those factors, plus chronic absenteeism and pandemic‑era learning gaps, are part of the explanation and described curriculum and instructional responses: just‑in‑time professional development for math and reading, exemplar lesson development, sustained data monitoring and coaching cycles, and leadership training for campus principals.
Dr. Olivares also noted that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is barred from issuing A–F accountability ratings for the 2023–24 cycle because of ongoing litigation; the district will publish projected ratings once the court process permits. He closed by saying the district has reviewed the data with campus leaders and set targeted strategies for the coming year.
The board followed with trustee questions about the 5– to 12‑point early‑reading gains, the 6‑point decline in sixth‑grade math on the screener, and the district’s plans to narrow gaps for special education and emergent bilingual students. Trustees thanked staff for the report and for providing longitudinal data to contextualize recent year‑to‑year trends.
Next steps: staff said more detailed explanations would be posted in the superintendent's regular communication (CUES News), principals will use the data in campus improvement planning, and trustees will review a strategic plan and follow‑up items in upcoming board materials.
