Dallas ISD’s new strategies lead to improved reading and math scores, though results still trail statewide averages.
DALLAS — The Dallas ISD superintendent said newly-released preliminary data from the STAAR state test showed the district’s strategies are largely working to improve student results, even as she continued to raise concerns about some aspects of the assessment.
Dallas posted higher reading scores across grades three through eight and saw improvements in math scores for most grades.
“In many areas, we are outpacing the state,” said Dallas Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde. “We’re not quite at the state level in all areas yet, but we are getting closer to that state performance.”
She credited a full year of new curriculum implementation, the district’s approach to teacher compensation and the work of educators for the successful scores.
“Take a moment to say ‘Job well done,'” she said. “[There’s] more work to do, but I hope our educators, our parents and guardians and students get a little moment to say ‘Alright, we’re on the track.'”
DISD saw gains across grade levels in reading, but posted results below statewide scores.
TEA reports 47% of DISD third graders met grade level on the reading test, as did 52% of fourth graders, 57% of fifth graders, 48% of sixth graders, 47% of seventh graders and 51% of eighth graders.
Last year, 42% of DISD third graders met grade level on the reading test, as did 45% of fourth graders, 50% of fifth graders, 47% of sixth graders, 44% of seventh graders and 48% of eighth graders.
DISD reported modest gains in math across most grade levels, with the exception of a notable rise in scores in third grade and continued lower numbers in seventh grade. The district’s math scores were also below those reported statewide, though.
In math, 42% of DISD third graders met grade level, as did 45% of fourth graders, 46% of fifth graders, 32% of sixth graders, 7% of seventh graders and 39% of eighth graders.
Last year, 35% of DISD third-graders met grade level in math, as did 41% of fourth graders, 45% of fifth graders, 32% of sixth graders, 7% of seventh graders and 33% of eighth-graders.
Elizalde says most seventh graders do not take the seventh grade STAAR math test, but rather are on a more advanced track and take 8th grade math and the corresponding STAAR assessment. Still, she said, the seventh-grade math results are not where the district would like.
“Maybe we need to think how we’re scheduling those students – are they with the most effective teachers? And is it beneficial to slow it down or would we be better off accelerating them along with other students and peers and having higher expectations?” she asked.
If all seventh-grade students took eighth-grade math and the ones who do not pass repeat the grade, “they would have another bat at eighth grade,” she said.
Elizalde acknowledged the STAAR test has limitations — and cautioned drawing conclusions based on the scores. She continues to have concerns about the automatic grading of written “essay-style” questions.
Last year, nearly half of 5th graders got a zero on their extended response questions — but from 25% the year before, when the Texas Education Agency used human graders. This year, 38% of 5th graders got zeros.
Elizalde said teachers studied how the test was graded in an effort to increase student success, but “didn’t see that level of improvement” in the scores.
“I still think there’s work to be done,” she said, but: “we’re not going to utilize some of the concerns that we may have as a reason we don’t improve our students’ performance.”