Education remains at a standstill in Fort Worth, according to a new report.
The Fort Worth Education Partnership, a nonprofit committed to high quality public education in the city, released its annual analysis of Fort Worth public schools, both traditional and charter. The Aug. 12 report examined third- to eighth-grade student performance on state standardized tests across the city, sorting results by Fort Worth City Council district.
Overall, 35% of students who live in Fort Worth met grade-level standards — a 1 percentage point decline from the 2023 report.
Key points from report
The Fort Worth Education Partnership released its annual report examining the performance of schools inside the city of Fort Worth. Here are some key points:
- Highest performing school: Fort Worth ISD’s Overton Park Elementary in southwest Fort Worth, with 86% of students meeting grade-level standard.
- Lowest performing school: Fort Worth ISD’s Clifford Davis Elementary in southeast Fort Worth, with 6% of students meeting grade-level standard.
- Highest performing City Council district: Council member Alan Blaylock’s District 10 in north Fort Worth, which saw 49% of students meeting grade-level standard.
- Lowest performing City Council district: Council member Chris Nettles’ District 8 in south Fort Worth, which saw 24% of students meeting grade-level standard.
Brent Beasley, the partnership’s president and CEO, described the lack of improvement as concerning for the city’s future.
“When only about a third of our kids in Fort Worth are at grade level academically, I’m concerned about what that means for them and their ability to access opportunities in their future,” Beasley said. “I also think about what it means for the future of our city when 65% of our future workforce and adult population is below grade level academically.”
Fort Worth ISD is focused on its student academic growth, even as it experiences some declines, spokesperson Jessica Becerra said. She added that the district is working to understand the impact that artificial intelligence is having on state standardized test scores, along with online-only administration.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to academic growth for all students. Our interim assessments indicate that students are making progress, and we are confident in the direction we are heading,” Becerra said.
The issue is not isolated to any particular part of Fort Worth. No City Council district had more than half of students meeting grade level, according to the report.
“This is a citywide problem,” Beasley said.
Reading slips
Since 2022, reading rates slipped 3 percentage points. Now, 43% of students read at grade-level standards.
In other words, more than half of students cannot read at grade level.
“Most — not some — most of our children in Fort Worth cannot read well. This means far too many of our kids will not have full access to a path to prosperity. I consider that to be a moral and civic crisis,” Beasley said.
City leaders have recognized Fort Worth’s reading crisis. In 2023, Mayor Mattie Parker proclaimed Sept. 8 as International Literacy Day in Fort Worth and vowed the municipal government would help students succeed. Parker previously served as the founding CEO of Fort Worth Cradle to Career and the Tarrant To & Through Partnership, which connects students to workforce training and credentials.
“Literacy of our students is a community crisis, not just a school crisis,” she said at the time.
In April, a coalition of more than 80 organizations launched an initiative called Go Beyond Grades. The initiative wants to better inform parents of the true academic standing of their children.
More than 90% of Tarrant County parents think their children are at grade level, according to data from Go Beyond Grades.
Area superintendents acknowledge scores are not where they should be. They will get a more in-depth look at the performance of their schools and districts Aug. 15 when the Texas Education Agency is expected to release A-F accountability ratings.
Enrollment shifts
Fort Worth, one of the nation’s largest and fastest growing cities, has added 9,471 children in public schools since 2023.
The enrollment gains were mostly found in the 11 non-Fort Worth ISD school districts, which gained 6,944 students.
Fort Worth ISD is the largest school district in the city. Since 2016, Fort Worth ISD has lost 17,442 students. New projections show the school district eventually shrinking to serve 59,756 students by the 2033-34 academic year.
Charter schools in Fort Worth have added more than 2,294 students since 2023.
Jacob Sanchez is a senior education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or @_jacob_sanchez. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
