Preliminary STAAR 2025: Waco ISD reports third‑grade reading gains, mixed secondary results

Jessica Steele, who presented the district’s preliminary spring 2025 STAAR (STAAR 2.0) results, told the board that elementary reading showed notable gains while secondary results were mixed.

"This is the 3rd year of this model of testing," Steele said, noting that the revised STAAR contains new item types and constructed responses that are partially scored by automated scoring engines and partially by human graders. "About 25% goes to a human grader," she said, describing quality‑control checks on extended responses.

Steele highlighted a large increase in third‑grade reading at the meets level (up to about 30% from 24% the prior year), and she said early‑grade improvements likely reflect investments in early literacy. Middle school scores showed small shifts with some grades up at approaches but down at meets or masters. High‑school English I and II results included a small drop in approaches and meets but an increase at masters in some cohorts; Algebra I combined results showed minor decreases for some student groups and gains in first‑time passing for retesters.

Steele recommended continued lesson‑plan internalization (moving teachers from planning time to rehearsal/delivery of lessons), targeted professional development through PLCs, and emphasis on writing across the curriculum to support constructed‑response items. She and trustees discussed differences between the district’s raw results and the official accountability snapshot that will be used by the Texas Education Agency later in the summer.