Growth in both reading and math continues as districts focus on strong instruction and supporting educators

DALLAS, June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) released STAAR assessment results for grades 3–8 for the 2025–26 school year, providing insight into how students across Texas are developing the foundational skills that serve as the basis for future academic success and economic mobility.

Across Dallas County, students demonstrated continued growth in both reading and math. Since 2025, the percentage of students in grades 3–8 meeting grade level standards increased by 1 percentage point in reading and 2 percentage points in math. Dallas County matched the state in reading growth, while outpacing the state's 1 percentage point gain in math.

Most sub-populations had growth on par with statewide results. Black students in Dallas County also made notable gains in 3–8 math, with the percentage of students meeting grade level standards increasing by 3 percentage points, outpacing the state's 2 percentage point growth.

"The results we are seeing in Dallas County reflect the sustained attention districts have given to strengthening core instructional systems," said Sile Robinson, Chief Regional Impact Officer at The Commit Partnership. "Across Dallas County, school systems have invested in implementing strong instructional practices, recognizing and rewarding effective teachers while equipping them with the support they need to succeed in the classroom, and using data to continuously drive positive student outcomes."

"While there is still work ahead, these results reinforce an important lesson: student achievement improves when school systems remain focused on what data and research show works for students. The progress we are seeing reflects continued investments in high-quality instruction and the educators who make that instruction possible every day."

Fourth-grade math emerged as an area of continued progress across Dallas County. Students meeting grade level standards increased by 5 percentage points, with 12 of the county's 15 largest school systems posting gains over the previous year. These gains were slightly ahead of the statewide increase of 4 percentage points, and they indicate that more Dallas County students are developing the essential math skills needed for future success in the classroom.

Early math achievement plays an important role in shaping students' future academic opportunities. Students who develop a strong math foundation in the elementary grades are more likely to access advanced math pathways as they enter middle school, including courses such as Algebra I. Research indicates that early participation in Algebra I is associated with higher rates of postsecondary enrollment and persistence, which are ultimately associated with higher lifetime earnings.

Dallas County also saw steady progress in reading achievement across grades 6–8, where the percentage of students meeting grade-level standards increased by 2 percentage points compared to the previous year. These results are meaningful, as many of this year's middle school students had their learning interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic during the grades when crucial reading skills are typically developed.

Strong reading skills developed in the early grades help students engage with increasingly complex content across every subject as they progress through school. Research has shown that demonstrating proficiency in 3rd grade reading is associated with many critical long-term milestones, including access to college courses in high school, high school graduation, and postsecondary enrollment.

Additionally, analysis from The Commit Partnership shows how challenging it can be for students to catch-up in reading in later grades: only 29 percent of Dallas County students who did not meet grade level standards in 3rd grade reading went on to meet standards on their English I EOC exam in 2023. While Commit will continue exploring the factors that may be contributing to these gains in later grades, the results offer a promising indicator that students whose reading development was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic are strengthening their literacy skills in middle school.

The results released this month also provide an important benchmark as Texas prepares to implement a new statewide assessment system. As a result of House Bill 8, signed during the 89th Legislative Session, STAAR will be replaced in the 2027-28 school year with the Student Success Tool (SST), a through-year assessment designed to provide more frequent feedback on student growth and performance.

By measuring progress at three separate points during the school year, the SST will equip teachers, families, and school leaders with more timely information about student achievement. That information can help schools identify learning gaps earlier, adjust instruction, and provide additional support to ensure that students' progress towards meeting grade-level expectations.

Taken together, both the 2025–26 STAAR EOC and 3-8 results point to continued academic progress across Dallas County (pending science results still to be released by TEA). Across all currently reported tested grades and subjects, the percentage of students meeting grade-level standards increased by 3 percentage points, exceeding the state's growth by 2 percentage points. In total, 11 of the county's 15 largest school systems improved their performance compared to the previous year.

"Assessment results are most valuable when they are used to inform action and change behaviors," said Chelsea Jeffery, Chief of Strategy, Insights & Talent at The Commit Partnership. "Beyond measuring student performance, they help educators, leaders, and families understand where opportunity gaps remain and identify which strategies are improving student outcomes. Statewide assessments provide one of the few ways to understand where progress is occurring across schools and districts, ensuring that the investments we make in education benefit all students, not just a select group of campuses or communities.

As Dallas County school systems continue working to increase educational attainment and economic mobility, data help ensure decisions remain grounded in evidence and focused on improving outcomes for students at scale."

TEA makes statewide assessment data publicly available, and the information is often shared through reports and data files that require time, context, and technical expertise to fully interpret. The Commit Partnership translates that data into accessible insights that can be more easily understood and used to inform decisions that support student success. 

Commit's 2025–26 STAAR Results Data Dashboard turns complex state data into accessible, visual insights that allow educators, policymakers, funders, and community leaders to compare results across places, student groups, subjects, and years. Commit also provides additional views of the data that are especially relevant to local decision-makers, including county-level trends, regional comparisons, legislative districts, and other groupings that are not always easy to see through state reporting alone. 

To explore the latest Dallas County STAAR results and trends, view our STAAR Results Data Dashboard here:
https://www.commitpartnership.org/insights/data-dashboards/staar-results-dashboard

Commit's dashboard reporting initial insights of STAAR 3–8 Results for Dallas County can be found here: https://media.commitpartnership.org/share/fAPonGhelNezmR1Dve7y

For more insights from Commit on 2025-26 Grades 3–8 STAAR results, please visit our Latest Learning blog: https://www.commitpartnership.org/insights/latest-learnings/dallas-county-students-show-steady-progress-across-grades-3-8-staar-assessments

Parents and families can also access their student's individual STAAR results through the Texas Education Agency's Family Portal here: https://www.texasassessment.gov/index.html

About The Commit Partnership
The Commit Partnership (http://commitpartnership.org/) aims to break the cycle of poverty in Dallas County by examining its numerous root causes and working with others to remove systemic barriers to opportunity for all students. Commit Partnership discovers robust data insights and activates them through trusted relationships to innovate systems and unlock public funding in ways that address the root causes creating current student outcomes. Commit Partnership's true north goal is that, by 2040, at least half of all 25–34-year-old residents in Dallas County, irrespective of race, will earn a living wage. 

For more information, connect with Commit. 

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SOURCE The Commit Partnership