Castleberry ISD reports progress toward 3rd‑grade math STAR goal

Whitney Harper, the district’s lead elementary coordinator, told the Castleberry Independent School District Board of Education the district plans to raise the percentage of 3rd‑grade students meeting STAR math standards from 27% to 34% by June 2026 under House Bill 3 early numeracy goals.

Harper said the district adjusted its benchmark process after noticing a steady decline from benchmark to benchmark last year. "Benchmark 2 this year was administered as a full release STAAR assessment in December, providing students with earlier and more authentic testing experience," she said, adding that when that December benchmark is compared to last year’s benchmark 3 the results are nearly identical and indicate students are on track. Harper described the district’s progress‑monitoring cycle—PLC analysis, whole‑group reteaching, targeted small‑group instruction, RTI, and ACE high‑impact tutoring—to identify low‑performing TEKS and guide instruction.

Board members asked for specifics about test delivery and curriculum coverage at the time of the December benchmark; Harper confirmed the benchmark was given online and estimated roughly 40%–50% of TEKS instruction had been delivered by the test date. She also noted multiple measures are used to assess students, including MAP Growth, IXL, and daily fluency checks, and said the district’s instructional coach supports classrooms through co‑teaching and targeted coaching.

The board took no formal action on the item; staff said they will continue to report benchmark 2 results and follow the DIP monitoring process.