Gains seen in all subjects on STAAR tests

School students showed improvement in every subject in this spring’s end-of-course State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness exams, the Texas Education Agency reported.

The results include evaluations in Algebra I, English I, English II, biology and U.S. history. The biggest improvement was in biology, with 71% of students meeting expectations, up 9%.

“These results reflect the hard work of Texas students, educators and families and demonstrate that focused instruction and high expectations continue to produce positive outcomes for students across our state,” said Commissioner of Education Mike Morath. “These results may also be reflective of the Legislature’s ban of cellphone use in classrooms, so that students are better able to stay focused on their schoolwork while at school.”