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Does “passing” the STAAR mean your student is on grade level?

Mary Lynn Pruneda and Gabe Grantham

Today’s release of the 2023 Grades 3-8 STAAR results shows generally positive trends in both passage and students meeting grade level expectations.

This general improvement in student scores is good news for Texas students, but the context of these scores matters greatly for Texas families. For a student to “pass” the STAAR exam in Texas, they must be in the Approaches category. However, Approaching grade level is not the same as being on grade level (at the Meets or Masters level). The TEA official guidance confirms this, stating that Approaching grade level “indicates that students are likely to succeed in the next grade or course with targeted academic intervention.” It’s a difficult conversation, often lost in discourse between school officials, the Legislature and families. A student can pass the STAAR test, but still need academic intervention to succeed in the next grade.

Unfortunately, the mandated academic interventions crafted after the pandemic — HB 4545 (87-R) and HB 1416 (88-R) — only require intervention if a student scores Did Not Meet (in other words they failed) the STAAR. In third grade, for example, this means that roughly one-third of third graders have moved on to fourth grade, but without the guarantee of the interventions that they need to meet their full academic potential in reading and/or math.

Here’s some more information on what the STAAR performance standards actually mean:

STAAR scores are divided into four categories: (1) Did Not Meet Grade Level, (2) Approaches Grade Level, (3) Meets Grade Level, and (4) Masters Grade Level. TEA defines these terms as follows:

  • Did Not Meet Grade Level: Performance in this category indicates that students are unlikely to succeed in the next grade or course without significant, ongoing academic intervention. Students in this category do not demonstrate a sufficient understanding of the assessed knowledge and skills.
  • Approaches Grade Level: Performance in this category indicates that students are likely to succeed in the next grade or course with targeted academic intervention. Students in this category generally demonstrate the ability to apply the assessed knowledge and skills in familiar contexts.
  • Meets Grade Level: Performance in this category indicates that students have a high likelihood of success in the next grade or course but may still need some short-term, targeted academic intervention. Students in this category generally demonstrate the ability to think critically and apply the assessed knowledge and skills in familiar contexts.
  • Masters Grade Level: Performance in this category indicates that students are expected to succeed in the next grade or course with little or no academic intervention. Students in this category demonstrate the ability to think critically and apply the assessed knowledge and skills in varied contexts, both familiar and unfamiliar.
Passing the STAAR, defined

While the TEA standards are helpful, a more plain language explanation is also useful. Put simply, “Passing the STAAR” requires that students obtain a score in the “Approaches Grade Level” tier or higher. This differs from the number of students meeting grade level expectations because students “approaching” grade level still require targeted intervention to succeed in the next grade.

To be “On Grade Level” or “Meeting Grade Level Expectations” students need to obtain scores in the “Meets Grade Level” tier or higher. These students have a high likelihood of success at the next grade level, even if some short-term support may be needed.

What do these scores mean as we approach a fall special session?

Legislators should take heart that data-informed investments from recent sessions are yielding positive results. As the Legislature debates how to potentially invest billions of additional taxpayer dollars in public education, further investment in data-driven strategies can help students achieve their full academic potential.

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