Overview
- The Texas Education Agency published preliminary grades 3–8 STAAR results on June 16, 2026 showing year‑over‑year gains in math and social studies but little overall movement in reading.
- Despite recent improvements, math performance remains meaningfully below pre‑pandemic (2019) levels with average passing rates more than 10 percentage points lower than that baseline.
- TEA delayed fifth‑ and eighth‑grade science scores until July 31 for a standard‑setting recalibration tied to updated curriculum, and the agency said final A–F accountability ratings will follow after rescoring and validation.
- Technical and policy factors shaped this year’s patterns: more seventh‑graders took the eighth‑grade math exam because of middle‑school placement rules, and Commissioner Mike Morath linked middle‑school reading gains to a statewide ban on student cellphones.
- District and subgroup results vary widely — some districts and grades outperformed the state while others lagged — raising stakes for schools already under or near state intervention and leaving families to weigh tutoring and local supports to close gaps.