STAAR

The third- through eighth-grade scores in Houston ISD largely mirrored statewide trends, with the district performing especially well at the eighth-grade level.

The Texas Education Agency released Spring 2026 STAAR end-of-course exam scores Wednesday across different grades and five different subjects. The results show academic progress in North Texas and statewide, but some scores remain below pre-COVID 19 levels. —

A bill to end Texas’ state-mandate STAAR test is headed for Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. House Bill 8 replaces the year-end assessment with three shorter tests, but critics say that only increases the burden on students.

Democrats say recent changes to the bill give too much power to the TEA and fall short of meaningfully easing the pressures of standardized testing.

The Texas Education Agency on Friday released 2025 grades along with, after a court delay, scores from 2024. Many North Texas districts earned As, and several improved a full letter grade.

Democrats fled the state to stop Republicans’ attempt to redraw congressional districts, but bills aimed at everything from a THC product ban to bolstering flood response are now in doubt.

The proposal revives a failed effort from earlier this year and responds to years of legal fights over accountability.

The state agency said reading language arts scores surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

The mixed-bag results showed early literacy improvements, a key indicator of future academic success, but underline the challenges of preparing children for STEM-related jobs.

The state standardized test has long been criticized for taking instructional time away from teachers and putting unnecessary pressure on students.

If approved by Gov. Abbott, the bill would replace the annual test with shorter exams administered throughout the school year.

House Bill 4 would make the test shorter and base scores on how students’ performance compares to national averages.