Katy ISD outperforms state on STAAR test

by Kasey Schefflin | February 22, 2013 4:08 pm

The Texas Education Agency recently revealed that the third- through eighth-grade students in the Katy Independent School District outperformed the state on the 2012 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness test.

According to a press release, Katy ISD surpassed the Texas passing rate of STAAR, which measures student performance based on learning objectives by the TEA, by an average of 13 points. While state passing rates only take in consideration STARR tests administered in English, the district's passing rates include results from both the English and Spanish versions of STARR, in addition to versions taken by special education students.

"While we are very pleased that our students outperformed the state, that is not our only goal," Alton Frailey, superintendent of Katy ISD, said in the release. "While we will remain competitive with our peer districts within the state accountability system, our primary objective is to provide each student high quality and comprehensive learning experiences."

Parents will receive confidential student reports, which will provide information on their child or children's performance on the STARR, over the next two weeks. According to the release, parents may see that the STARR scores differ from scores on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills tests.

"The change in scores is not a reflection of the education that students receive as we continue to provide high-quality instruction that students and parents expect in Katy ISD," Christine Caskey, chief academic officer of Katy ISD, said in the release. "Not only is STAAR more rigorous than TAKS, this was the first time students saw the format of the new test. As students and teachers become more familiar with STAAR, we anticipate that future scores will improve."

The 2012 STARR results will not count in promotion or retention decisions, however, the administration of the test this spring will count.

For more information about STAAR, visit www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/.

For more information about Katy ISD, visit www.katyisd.org.