CISD fares well in EOC exams 24-07-2012

Early indications show that despite tougher requirements that come with the new State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exam, Carroll ISD students can handle it.

This past spring was the first time for third- through eighth-graders to take the STAAR test and for ninth graders to take the STAAR End-of-Course (EOC) exam. STAAR replaces the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test and are more rigorous. The EOC exams focus more specifically on curriculum points than the TAKS test did.

School administrators will have to wait until the fall to get a full understanding of what some of the results mean since the passing criteria has not been established for third- through eighth-grade tests.

But EOC results indicate Carroll ISD fared better than the state average of students reaching a passing score. Ninth-graders were tested in Algebra I, geometry, biology, English I Reading, English I Writing and world geography.

Within the first phase of the testing, which runs through 2014, the passing rate for the math, science, social studies exams is 3,500. A cumulative score of 10,500 is required (3,500 multiplied by three exams within those subjects) to graduate.

In English, the passing rate is 1,875 on the individual exams with the cumulative score required being 11,250 to graduate.

The EOC results are broken down in three performance levels: Level I (unsatisfactory), Level II (satisfactory) and Level III (advanced).

According to results released by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), 100 percent of the tested ninth-graders in Carroll ISD reached the passing standard in geometry, compared to the state average of 98 percent. In biology, 99 percent of the Carroll ninth-graders met the standard compared to the state average of 87 percent.

Other performances include 98 percent in world geography compared to the state average of the state average of 81 percent, 98 percent in algebra I (83 percent) and 95 percent in English I Reading (68 percent).

“We a pleased with our students’ STAAR EOC performance as we, along with other Texas districts, adjust to the new STAAR accountability system,” said Dr. JJ Villarreal, assistant superintendent of student services.

Carroll’s lowest-scoring subject was 92 percent meeting the standard, which came in English I Writing. That compared to the state average of 55 percent.

“In general, our principals, teachers, and curriculum coordinators will continue to review all student performance and enrich our curriculum and instruction for each content area,” Villarreal said. “This strategic planning aligns our instruction to meet the needs of our students taking STAAR assessments.” 

As far as students reaching Level III, 66 percent did so in geometry, followed by 43 percent in world geography, 29 percent in biology, 29 percent in algebra 1, 23 percent in English I Reading and 13 percent in English I Writing.

Final scores for the STAAR test in grades 3-8 will be available in January 2013.

However, seventh- and eighth-graders who took Algebra I and geometry took the EOC for that course. Preliminary results show that 100 percent of those students met the standard for Level II, in both tests, and 100 percent met the Level III standard in geometry. Eighty-one percent met Level III in Algebra I.

Beginning in the fall, students in grades 5 and 8 must meet the Level II standard on math and reading to advance to the next grade.


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