Houston ISD students posted gains across most tested subjects on the 2026 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR).
The results, released by the Texas Education Agency, showed growth on high school End-of-Course exams and improvements across much of elementary and middle school reading.
The scores arrive as Houston ISD prepares for a third year under state-appointed leadership and as Texas moves toward replacing the STAAR exam with a new testing system beginning in the 2027-28 school year.
“These results reflect the transformation that is possible when students receive strong instruction every day, in every classroom,” said HISD superintendent Mike Miles. “Over the past three years, HISD has raised expectations and focused relentlessly on student learning. The result is that more students are reading on grade level, succeeding in challenging coursework, and achieving at higher levels across grade levels and subjects.”
What do the scores say?
At the high school level, the district’s strongest gains came in Algebra I and English I in some cases.
Houston ISD increased its Algebra I passing rate by eight percentage points, while English I rose by five points and English II improved by six points. Biology increased 10 points. U.S. History declined by one point but remained at a consistently high level.
Statewide, high school students also posted gains across most tested subjects, with U.S. History the lone area showing a slight decline.
Reading scores increased across all tested grades, including gains of six percentage points in eighth-grade reading and five in seventh-grade reading.
District officials highlighted reading as one of the strongest areas of growth, noting that achievement has risen substantially since 2023.
Math performance improved in several grades, particularly fourth, sixth, and eighth grade.
However, seventh-grade math remained a challenge. The percentage of Houston ISD seventh-graders passing the math STAAR exam declined compared with last year, mirroring statewide struggles in middle school mathematics.
“The decline observed in the Grade 7 math assessment reflects the subset of students taking that test, as far more 7th-grade students are taking the Grade 8 math assessment than ever before,” according to TEA. “When analyzed by students’ enrolled grade level rather than the assessment taken, the percentage of students meeting grade level expectations increased across every grade level.”
“These results reflect the transformation that is possible when students receive strong instruction every day, in every classroom. Over the past three years, HISD has raised expectations and focused relentlessly on student learning. The result is that more students are reading on grade level, succeeding in challenging coursework, and achieving at higher levels across grade levels and subjects.”
HISD Superintendent Mike Miles
Houston ISD leaders pointed to increased enrollment in advanced coursework as a factor affecting seventh-grade math results.
“While seventh-grade math declined in HISD, 42% of seventh graders took either the eighth-grade STAAR Mathematics assessment or the Algebra I End-of-Course exam, reflecting increased participation in advanced coursework,” the school district stated.
Standardized testing
STAAR scores remain a major component of the state’s A-F accountability system, which can trigger interventions and, in turn, state takeovers and leadership changes when schools repeatedly receive failing ratings.
Houston ISD remains under state control following challenges to its accountability ratings.
For Black students, the results carry particular significance. Houston ISD serves a large population of Black students, and many of the campuses that historically struggled with accountability ratings have enrolled predominantly Black and low-income student populations.
Per Good Reason Houston, the test results can help education leaders identify where additional support or new programs are needed.
“These scores matter because they tell us that students are developing the reading, writing, and math skills that open doors after high school,” said Good Reason Houston CEO Courney Isaak Pichon. “The goal is ensuring every student graduates prepared for college, career, and a life of opportunity. Students and educators have done the hard work. Now Houston must learn from what’s working, scale it, and address the challenges that remain.”
The 2026 results are preliminary and remain subject to final validation by the Texas Education Agency.
The scores come as Texas schools continue to prepare for a new testing model approved under House Bill 8, which will replace the current STAAR system with three assessments spread throughout the school year, beginning in 2027-28.
