Texas STAAR results show reading gains, math still lags

Texas Education Agency results released June 16 show more Texas students reading on grade level across grades 3-8, while math remains below pre-pandemic performance in most grades. Texas 2036 says the data point to progress in literacy and early math, but also a continuing gap in the middle grades. Why it matters: - Texas families and schools are getting a clearer picture of how students in grades 3-8 are recovering after the pandemic. - Reading gains suggest some academic progress is holding, but math remains the biggest weak spot for long-term readiness. - The results add pressure on Texas to improve middle-grade performance before students reach high school. What happened: - The Texas Education Agency released 2026 STAAR results for grades 3-8 on June 16, 2026. - Texas 2036 reviewed the results and found reading proficiency remains above pre-pandemic levels, while math still trails in every grade except fourth. - The annual STAAR tests measure math and reading language arts in grades 3-8, science in grades 5 and 8, and social studies in grade 8. - Last week’s STAAR end-of-course results, combined with the grades 3-8 data, offer a broader view of student performance across Texas. The details: - In reading language arts, 54% of students across grades 3-8 met grade-level expectations, unchanged from 2025. - Seventh-grade reading rose by 2 percentage points. - Eighth-grade reading rose by 3 percentage points. - In math, 43% of students met grade-level expectations, up 1 percentage point from 2025. - Fourth-, fifth-, sixth- and eighth-grade math improved year over year, but most grades still remain below pre-pandemic levels. - In social studies, 32% of eighth graders met grade-level expectations, up from 30% in 2025. - Across all tested grades, including end-of-course results released June 10, 45% of Texas students are meeting grade-level expectations in math. - Across all tested grades, 55% are meeting grade-level expectations in reading language arts. - Texas 2036 said its full analysis is available at the full analysis . Between the lines: - Texas 2036 is framing the results as evidence that literacy and early numeracy investments are starting to show up in student outcomes. - The organization also sees the middle grades as the critical pressure point, especially in math. - Gov. Greg Abbott’s goal of making Texas the No. 1 state in education adds political weight to these results. - Mary Lynn Pruneda said the state should not be satisfied until every Texas student is ready for the next grade. - Trip Davis said the next test for Texas is whether middle-grade math can move closer to pre-pandemic performance. What’s next: - Texas leaders are likely to keep focusing on early numeracy, foundational literacy and teacher quality. - The state is expected to direct more attention to middle-grade math before students enter high school. - Texas 2036 says sustained work is still needed to close achievement gaps and improve long-term readiness. The bottom line: - Texas students are showing real progress in reading, but math recovery is not keeping pace, and the middle grades remain the state’s biggest academic challenge.