CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Math scores across Texas school districts seem to be the common challenge as STAAR test results reveal significant barriers for students, particularly in sixth and seventh grades.
In Region 2, which covers 46 school districts from Live Oak County to Kennedy County, 33% of sixth-grade students did not meet state performance levels in math.
"With COVID, that took away a lot of the face-to-face instruction, the constant support," said Cristina Sandoval, Associate Director of State and Federal Programs at the Education Service Center for Region 2.
Sandoval and her team analyze the "meets" scores, which indicate whether students are performing at their appropriate grade level. While reading scores have improved since pre-pandemic levels, math continues to be problematic.
"We are still moving the needle forward but we have not seen significant gains as we do in algebra for the older students," Sandoval said.
The challenges aren't unique to the Coastal Bend. Region 2 is performing similarly to statewide averages, with some areas outperforming and others slightly below state performance levels.
Sandoval points to two potential factors behind the math struggles: increased access to technology creating distractions and significant changes to the STAAR test format itself.
"Back in the day we used to do paper and pencil. The STAAR test is now very different especially for our younger ones. There's drag and drop selections, multiple choice, fill in the blanks..." Sandoval said.
Individual districts have implemented different strategies to address these challenges. Gregory-Portland ISD, where just 24% of sixth graders did not meet state math performance levels (compared to 33% regionally), has focused on comprehensive support systems.
The district employs three social workers in addition to school counselors to provide mental health support, recognizing the social development gaps created during COVID isolation.
"That's something that students need especially because they lack the socialization during those COVID years. Being away from the classroom, being away from the teachers especially our younger ones moving into those older grades," Sandoval said.
Despite math challenges, reading scores show encouraging improvement. Only 26% of students did not meet state performance levels in reading, compared to 37% pre-pandemic in spring 2019.
"Ultimately we just want all our students to succeed and this is just one measure that we can see their growth," Sandoval said.
Parents can view their children's STAAR scores through the TEA's Family Portal.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
