STAAR results show dips from last testing

Heading into the 2021 STAAR season, there was worry about ‘the COVID slide” in Texas students’ test scores resulting from the chaos brought on by the pandemic and virtual learning, and recent returns are showing some county schools fared better than others.

The following is a breakdown by school of test results across all grades and subjects between the 2019 and 2021 STAAR. There was no 2020 STAAR.

For those unfamiliar with STAAR ratings, Approaches Grade Level is considered passing, and Meets Grade Level and Masters Grade Level are higher levels of distinction with Masters being the highest. A visual aid is attached to this story. Data was compiled from the Texas Education Agency.

COMO-PICKTON

A total of 73% of tests accomplished Approaches Grade Level in 2021 compared to 76% in 2019, a negative change of nearly 4% between the two years. Among county schools, it saw the second-shortest slide in passing scores. It also had more passing scores than the region and state.

The district also fared well in the Meets category, having 41% of 2021 scores at that level to 2019’s 44%. This comes out to a drop of about 7% compared to the county average drop of about 6%. Masters saw a much greater drop as almost 16% less scores achieved that level. On the other hand, that is lower than than the statewide drop of 25%.

CUMBY

Cumby had the lowest rate of tests scoring Approaches Grade Level this year at 69% and also had the lowest percentage of Meets level at 35%. However, their dip in passing rate was a little over 5%, among the lowest, and it was lower than both the region’s and state’s slide in test scores.

Meets, however, is a different story. Along with their county-low rate at that level, Cumby saw the second-biggest dip in Meets scores between 2019 and 2021 at about 20%. That drop is higher than both the state’s and region’s.

Cumby is tied with other county schools at 14% of scores accomplishing Masters Grade Level, and its year-to-year drop of roughly 13% is the middle of the pack among county schools.

NORTH HOPKINS

North Hopkins was the one of three county school to continue offering the remote learning option throughout the 2020-2021 school year, and in the face of that, it managed to fare the best. A total of 72% of 2021 scores were passing whereas 74% percent were in 2019 for a slight decline of about 3%.

The percentage of scores reaching the Meets Grade Level held steady year-to-year at 46%, making the only county school to do so. While 20% of scores achieved Masters in 2019, 19% also reached the same level in 2021 for a dip of 5%. The district was only slightly better than the region in that regard.

MILLER GROVE

On a bright note, Miller Grove has the second-highest 2021 passing rate at 77%, tied with the region. However, with 84% of scores achieving the same in 2019, it was a decline of about 8%, the second-highest drop in the county.

There was a 17% dip in scores reaching Meets in 2021 versus 2019, making it one of the largest drops, and the district had the second-lowest Meets percentage in the county. For Masters, it tied with other county schools with 14% of scores reaching it, and the decline was significant at 22% year-to-year.

SALTILLO

After seeing passing scores in 81% of tests in 2019, Saltillo saw only 71% pass this year, the largest negative change in the county at roughly 12%. It was still lower than the state’s drop of 14%.

Saltillo also had the highest drops in rates of scores achieving Meets or Masters Grade Level, 23% and 38% respectively. Both of those drops were higher than the state. For 2021, 41% of scores met the Meets Grade Level, and 15% of scores accomplished Masters.

SULPHUR BLUFF

As the smallest school in the county, Sulphur Bluff has the highest passing rate for its 2021 scores at 79%, and its drop of about 6% was in the middle of the pack among county schools and lower than the region and state.

Forty-six percent of 2021 scores achieved Meets compared to 49% of 2019 scores for a modest drop of 6%, but the district took a severe hit in scores reaching Masters. According to the TEA, 19% of scores were at the Masters level in 2019, but only 14% were in 2021. That comes out to a dip of 26%, the second-largest change in the county.

SULPHUR SPRINGS

As by the far the largest school in the county, Sulphur Springs in all saw modest drops in all three categories given the chaotic times. Seventy-one percent of scores were passing in 2021, four percentage points lower than in 2019 (75%). This makes Sulphur Springs’ decrease in that area a slight 5%.

For scores achieving Meets or Masters, the district saw bigger drops at 8% and 9% respectively, and both were higher than the region’s declines. On the other hand, they were much lower than the state’s drops in the same categories.