External Reports – Academic Equity Advocates

EXTERNAL REPORTS:

Unlike Testing History, this section of External Reports deals with current STAAR testing program including academic years of 2018-19 (last pure non COVID free year), 2021-22, and 2022-23 academic years.

Our goal is pretty simple here. It is to give you the data you need and explain how to read that data so that you will be more knowledgeable than 99% of the school board members in Texas who make decisions (or fail to make decisions) on matters affecting the quality and integrity of the Texas public educational accountable system that has so much impact on your children. Facetious? Yes. But, it does hit close to home.

The student academic performance information contained in this section is extensive. There are 20 sets of tables (extensive) whose documentation includes formal public record figures showing:

2018-19 Academic Year
- The difference in performance between at-risk students and students not at-risk in grades 3-8 in reading and math
- The difference in performance between at-risk students and students not at-risk in grade 7 writing.
- The difference in performance between at-risk students and students not at-risk in grade 8 science and social studies.
- The difference in performance between at-risk students and students not at-risk in End of Course testing in English I, English II, Algebra I, US History, and Biology.
  - This data is reported for the State of Texas and over 60 school districts from throughout Texas.
2018-19 and 2021-22 Academic Years: (Student performance by major ethnicity/demographics focusing specifically on percent of students performing BELOW GRADE LEVEL as well overall performance
- 5th Grade: Reading, Math, Science
- 8th Grade: Reading, Math Science
- End of Course: English I, English II, Algebra I, US History, and Biology.
  - This data is reported for each of the 20 regions of Texas as well as over 30 school districts from throughout Texas.
2022-23 Statewide Results Focusing Upon Below Grade Level Performance in Grades 5-8 In Subject Tested & EOC Tests

Key Points and WHY?

Why these tables are extensive, they are not hard to read or UNDERSTAND.
Each set of tables will have a ‘show and tell’ PDF helping you get your eyes focused. The tables are constructed that once you read the first one in the series, you can read and understand (easily) each one in the series.
Each of these tables will be spotlighted in separate profile stories as Academic Equity Advocates continues publication. However, if you take the time, you can travel around Texas on your computer and come out with actual knowledge of the public education system that can make you a better advocate for your children.
The columns you will want to focus upon show the percent of students who performed below grade level in each of regions or school districts noted.
Other features will provide deep understanding of the academic, judicial, statutory, and administrative issues that will give more context to the numbers. But here is the bottom-line to all the numbers you have now been given:
- Significant percentages of all Texas students perform below grade-level on STAAR tests.
- Below grade level performance for at-risk, disadvantaged students is much greater throughout Texas including otherwise high-performing school districts.
- The State of Texas has an accountability system that has determined its constitutional burden of academic equity can includes students performing grade level.

Here are 2 separate PDFs that will explain why these tables are important and how to read them. Further, there will be more specific “how to read” the tables available to you before each section of tables.

Helpful Tips 1 – How The State Reports Results & How To Read The Tables

Helpful Tips 2 – TEA Commissioner Admits Below Grade Level Performance Includes Constitutional Equity

RESERVED

How To Read the Next 10 At-Risk Equity Tables for Texas & 60+ ISDs

At-Risk Equity Gaps Grades 3-8 STAAR READING

At-Risk Equity Gaps Grades 3-8 STAAR MATH

At-Risk Equity Gaps Grades 7 STAAR WRITING

At-Risk Equity Gaps Grade 8 STAAR SCIENCE

At-Risk Equity Gaps Grade 8 STAAR SOCIAL STUDIES

At-Risk Equity Gaps STAAR STAAR END OF COURSE – ENGLISH I

At-Risk Equity Gaps STAAR STAAR END OF COURSE – ENGLISH II

At-Risk Equity Gaps STAAR STAAR END OF COURSE – ALGEBRA I