Fort Worth schools gain ground in Texas end-of-course exam scores
The percentage of high school students in the Fort Worth school district who passed end-of-course exams climbed this year compared to two years ago, according to data released Monday by the Texas Education Agency.
But the percentage of Fort Worth students passing the exam still lags behind pre-pandemic levels in all but one subject area.
Texas students are required to pass end-of-course exams in English I, English II, Algebra I, Biology and U.S. History before they graduate from high school. Students who don’t pass the exam the first time are allowed to retake it.
The percentage of Fort Worth students who met grade level on the English I exam remained flat at 49% this year, after declining from 52% between the spring of 2019 and the spring of 2021. In English II, 41% of students met grade level this year, a four-point improvement over last year and the spring of 2019, nearly a year before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
In Algebra I and Biology, Fort Worth students made up some ground this year after posting declines during the pandemic. In Algebra I, 23% of students met grade level this year, up from 17% last year. Last year’s total represented a sharp drop from pre-pandemic levels: in the spring of 2019, 48% met grade level on the Algebra I section. In Biology, 70% of students met grade level on the exam, up from 66% last year. In the spring of 2019, 81% of students scored on grade level.
In U.S. History, 56% of Fort Worth students scored on grade level this year, up from 53% last year. Before the pandemic, 66% of students scored on grade level.
Texas high school students gain ground statewide
Statewide, scores edged up in the three subject areas in which they declined during the pandemic: Algebra I, Biology and U.S. History. In Algebra I, the number of students who met grade level on the test climbed five percentage points, from 41% last year to 46% this year. In Biology, it climbed three points, from 54% last year to 57% this year. And in U.S. history, it climbed two points, from 69% last year to 71% this year.
Scores in English I and II improved a few points between 2019 and 2021. State education officials said those scores were an indication that students suffered fewer setbacks in those subject areas during the pandemic. This year, the percentage of students who scored on grade level in English I slipped two points, falling from 50% last year to 48% this year. In English II, the percentage of students performing on grade level remained flat at 57%.
In a statement, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said the results were an indication that the academic recovery plan the state adopted in response to the pandemic is paying off for students.
“We have made some progress to date, but there is still work to be done to fully recover from the academic effects of the COVID slide,” Morath said. “We’re confident we’ll get there because Texas educators are all-in on helping their students to make the necessary academic gains.”
Under House Bill 4545, which Texas lawmakers passed last year, students who don’t pass the test are entitled either to 30 hours of targeted tutoring or to be placed in a class with a high-performing teacher. But many districts statewide, including Fort Worth, have struggled to find enough tutors to meet that threshold.
The agency is scheduled to release STAAR results showing how students in grades 3-8 performed in reading and math Friday. During a meeting of the district’s Board of Trustees last February, a Fort Worth district official presented projections showing no growth in third-grade reading and modest growth in math as compared to last year. The district projected 26% of third-graders would meet grade level in reading on this year’s test.
End-of-course exam results were released Monday for other Tarrant County districts, as well.
Arlington ISD
In the Arlington school district, test-takers posted declines in English and gain in other subjects. This year, 38% of all test-takers met grade level on the Algebra I section, up from 26% last year. In U.S. History, 64% met grade level, up from 63% last year. In Biology, 46% met grade level this year, the same percentage as last year. In English I, 40% met grade level, down from 46% last year. In English II, 62% met grade level, down from 66% last year.
Northwest ISD
The percentage of students meeting grade level in the Northwest school district slipped in almost all subject areas. In Algebra I, 57% of students met grade level this year, down from 60% last year. In Biology, 72% met grade level this year, down from 74% last year. In English I, 63% met grade level this year, down from 69% last year. In English II, 72% met grade level this year, the same percentage as last year. And in U.S. History, 84% met grade level, down from 86% last year.
Keller ISD
The percentage of students meeting grade level in Keller edged up over last year in nearly all subject areas. In Algebra I, 56% met grade level, up from 52% last year. In Biology, 78% met grade level, up from 72% last year. In English I, 69% met grade level this year, down from 75% last year. In English II, 79% met grade level this year, up from 76% last year. In U.S. History, 86% met grade level this year, the same percentage as last year.
Mansfield ISD
Scores in the Mansfield school district improved in some subject areas and declined in others. In Algebra I, 63% of students scored on grade level this year, up from 56% last year. In Biology, 63% scored on grade level this year, down from 66% last year. In English I, 58% scored on grade level this year, down from 66% last year. In English II, 68% scored on grade level this year, down from 70% last year. In U.S. History, 80% scored on grade level this year, up from 78% last year.
