District updates trustees on STAAR benchmarks and Algebra 1 acceleration

Director/Presenter (speaker 10) told trustees the district is in the middle of STAAR testing season for grades 3–11 and summarized March benchmark gains and areas that need continued support. "We are in the middle of April, and that means we are heavy in STAAR testing season," the presenter said, and explained that staff are using benchmark data from December and March to target supports.

Algebra acceleration: The director described the district's Algebra 1-in-8th model (implemented in 2018) and the supports for students who do not pass the Algebra 1 EOC in 8th grade, including placement into a remedial Algebra 1 section in 9th grade. "If they do not pass the Algebra 1 EOC in 8th grade, they go into our regular Algebra 1 class in 9th grade, but it's a different section," the presenter said.

Why it matters: The acceleration pathway is intended to provide advanced math opportunity earlier and to expand students' options for higher-level math in high school. Trustees asked about performance across grades and noted some concerns about 7th-to-8th-grade transition math gaps; staff said they are monitoring passing rates closely and provide supplemental supports like tutoring and surge Saturday sessions.

Next steps: Staff will continue monitoring benchmarks and share additional data with trustees; the academic updates are informational at this workshop and no policy changes were proposed.