This annual report provides information for the 2022-23 school year on grade-level retention and student performance in the Texas public school system. Student retention and promotion data are reported with data on the performance of students in Grades 3-8 on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) reading language arts and…

The purpose of this study was to compare virtual school students' learning outcomes with traditional school students' learning outcomes in Texas. The research design was a quantitative study using a retrospective causal-comparative design. The researcher used archival state assessment data to compare the learning outcomes of K-12 virtual school…

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a significant difference in test scores on the Grade Five Reading State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness involving male and female students identified as having the characteristics of dyslexia who received early dyslexia intervention and those who received late dyslexia intervention,…

In Texas, the adoption of a four-day school week (4dsw) calendar from a five-day school week (5dsw) has not been widespread until recent years, but has grown significantly to 40 districts post-COVID through the 2022-23 school year. This report presents findings of an analysis of State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) performance…

This quantitative research study analyzed the effectiveness of Section 504 plans on academic achievement as measured by the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR), and graduating grade point averages (GPA). There is limited research on the effectiveness of Section 504 plans and academic…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of selected demographic factors on the academic achievement of high school students. More specifically, this study was concerned with the effects of the variables gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) scores in Mathematics,…

Nationally, public school districts utilize student achievement as the indicator of success or failure. In Texas, student achievement is measured by the yearly State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) assessment in Grades 3 through 12. Existing studies examined mentoring as a way of creating positive change for principals. Much of…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how end-of-course general education teachers in public high schools (grades 9-12) described cognitive fatigue during the preparation and implementation of standardized testing practices in a Texas urban public school district. Prior to this study, it was not known how Texas public…

Public school districts throughout Texas are required to be rated by the Texas Education Agency's A-F accountability rating system, which had not been adequately investigated at the time of conducting the study. The following research question guided the correlational study: To what extent do student achievement, school progress, and closing the…

Schools often track students to classes based on ability. Proponents of tracking argue it is a low-cost tool to improve learning since instruction is more effective when students are more homogeneous, while opponents argue it exacerbates initial differences in opportunities without strong evidence of efficacy. In fact, little is known about the…

This research study investigates the impact of the rapid transition from paper-based to online administration of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exams on student performance in a South Texas school district. The transition, mandated by House Bill 3261, presented Texas public schools with a tight timeline for adapting…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not adopting a blended learning model led to significant difference in the Algebra I standardized test scores on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) End-of-Course (EOC) exam between secondary students who experienced a blended learning model in their classrooms and…

As state school-based accountability systems have become more complex and increasingly comprehensive, school district leaders have struggled with the balance of managing limited school district funding while focusing on improving student academic achievement as quantified by state-mandated testing results. The amount of a school district's…

The purpose of this study was to compare reading scores of students and school systems using the Trilingual process (public charter district) to students and school systems using the Dual Language, Bilingual, and ESL process (public school district). Participants were low socioeconomic status Grade 3 Hispanic/Latinx students. Focused in this…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine whether English as a Second Language (ESL) Hispanic students, attendance at Title I or Non-Title I schools, and percentage of Bilingual/ESL teachers on campus impacted academic performance as measured by standardized tests. With a rapidly expanding Hispanic population in Texas, it was prudent…