Aldine Independent School District showed a mix of strengths and ongoing challenges in the 2025 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) End-of-Course (EOC) exams, according to newly released district-level data.
While students outperformed state expectations in U.S. History and made strong showings in Biology and Algebra I, English I and II results revealed persistent struggles.
The exams, taken by thousands of high school students across the district and the state, are a key benchmark for college and career readiness in Texas. STAAR EOC tests assess student proficiency in five core subjects: Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II and U.S. History.
“We had tremendous growth in literacy,” said Aldine ISD Superintendent Dr. LaTonya Goffney. “We have to do more and in order to catch up to the state, we have to outgrow the state.”
English scores signal academic distress
Among the most concerning results were in English I and II. Nearly half of Aldine students who took the English I exam (48%) did not meet grade-level expectations. Additionally, 52% passed the test, with just 6% of test-takers reaching the “Masters” level, the highest performance category. While English II fared slightly better, with a 40% “Did Not Meet” rate, 60% passed and only 4% of students achieved Master ‘s-level proficiency. The average scale scores also lagged behind other subjects, with English I students earning an average of 3846 and English II at 3901.
English I revealed troubling disparities. Nearly half of Black and Hispanic students (48%) did not meet grade level expectations. Only 6% of Hispanic and 5% of Black students reached the “Master’s” level, compared to 20% of Asian students. Asian students had a 91% “Approaches” rate, with 83% meeting grade level. These results indicate that language-based assessments continue to affect students of color disproportionately.
Performance trends in English II mirrored those in English I. Asian students again performed best, with 90% reaching “Approaches,” 80% meeting grade level, and 28% at “Masters.” In comparison, only 3% of Hispanic and 2% of Black students achieved “Master’s.” Many Black (41%) and Hispanic (40%) students did not meet the minimum expectations.
Goffney noted that while English I and II scores declined statewide, their district’s drop was smaller than others. Aldine ISD, she said, had already implemented a plan before the state data was released, including piloting a new high school literacy curriculum at one campus that led to better results. Based on this success, the district is rolling it out districtwide, with additional teacher training and coaching from high-performing educators. She emphasized tailored instruction, growth for all students and cultural responsiveness, given that 90% of Aldine’s students are Black or Brown.
“We are launching a whole new curriculum for high school literacy,” Goffney explained. “We provided support for our English teachers. We looked at the ones who’ve done extremely well and they’ll be providing the different support and training for those where we didn’t see as much growth.”
Algebra I and Biology
In math and science, Aldine students showed promising trends with room to grow. In Algebra I, 68% of students met grade-level expectations, 32% failed and 21% earned Master-level scores. The average scale score stood at 3915, and while 32% did not meet expectations, these outcomes are on par with or slightly below statewide averages for large urban districts.
In Algebra I, Asian students demonstrated the highest performance, with 86% meeting the “Approaches Grade Level” standard and 55% achieving “Masters.” White students also performed well, with 78% meeting the “Meets” level and 38% at “Masters.” By contrast, only 39% of Hispanic students and 34% of Black students met the “Meets” standard, with just 22% and 16% reaching “Masters,” respectively. These gaps suggest that Algebra remains a gatekeeper subject, especially for Black and Hispanic students.
In Biology, students show progress. Just 13% of students failed to meet standards, and 87% met or exceeded the “approaches” benchmark. Although only 10% reached the Master’s level, nearly half of the students (49%) achieved the “Meets” category.
Biology results paint a slightly more optimistic picture. Asian students again led with 100% at “Approaches” and 34% at “Masters,” followed by White students with 90% “Approaches” and 24% “Masters.” Hispanic and Black students had “Approaches” rates over 85%, but just 10% and 8% reached the “Master’s” level. While the data shows fewer students are failing Biology, relatively few are excelling, particularly among underrepresented groups.
“Different students come with different needs,” Goffney said. “So, making sure that we are training our teachers and staff on differentiated instruction and how we can meet the needs of groups of kids that not every kid is African-American would have the same struggle, but understanding what’s going to help them to achieve at the same level and the same with emerging bilingual or Hispanic kids.”
History triumphs
Aldine’s strongest performance came in U.S. History. A striking 93% of students passed, with just 7% falling below the “Did Not Meet” threshold. Additionally, 62% scored in the “Meets” category, and 28% achieved “Master’s”-level proficiency, the highest of any subject.
The average scale score of 4184 in U.S. History also exceeded those in all other content areas.
Hispanic and Black students both had a 93% “Approaches” rate, although their “Masters” rates lagged behind those of Asian (59%) and White (48%) students. This subject showed the smallest gaps in basic proficiency.
Goffney attributes its strong history performance to skilled teachers, dedicated program directors and active student participation in the National History Day competition. This program engages students from elementary through secondary levels in researching historical events using primary sources, presenting in period attire and competing locally, statewide, and nationally.
“Our plan is to make sure that our teachers first teach tier one and make sure that it is engaging, that it’s an opportunity for kids to not just memorize facts, but really get the experience,” Goffney added…2023 was our baseline and 2025 we have the momentum going.”
