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Fort Worth ISD sees reading gains on STAAR test after months of struggles
Fort Worth ISD is celebrating signs of academic progress following a difficult year marked by accountability concerns and performance challenges.
New STAAR results released this week show reading scores have improved across grades three through eight, surpassing the district's literacy goal by four percentage points.
"We're very happy to see gains across the board in literacy, which has definitely been a focus this school year," Superintendent Dr. Karen Molinar said.
District faces recent scrutiny
CBS News Texas
The district has faced increased scrutiny in recent months. In April, it received a "D" accountability rating for the first time, based on 2023 data. In May, state leaders raised the possibility of a takeover. However, the latest scores offer a sense of momentum.
"I am proud, not only of our school district, but our city for standing behind FWISD," Molinar said. "Everyone has a goal, and that's students in mind."
Math gains and gaps
In addition to literacy improvements, fourth-grade math scores also showed gains.
"The data shows us exactly where we already knew we had gaps, especially in our math area," Molinar said. "We pivoted early on with small group interventions for identified students and intensive campus-level support."
Statewide trends mirror local results
Statewide trends mirror those in Fort Worth. Students across Texas continue to show growth in reading, but more than half remain below grade level in math—a concern for long-term academic success.
Despite the positive momentum, some experts remain cautious.
"It was really encouraging to see continued growth in reading," said Gabe Grantham, policy advisor for the nonprofit Texas 2036. "But more than half our students are below grade level in math, which is just not okay when we're thinking about how core those skills are for academic and post-academic success."
New academic strategies launched
In response, Fort Worth ISD is launching an aggressive academic redesign. Plans include more instructional time for middle school students, a new phonics program for kindergarten through second grade, and enhanced dyslexia support tools.
"If we want to talk about obstacles, it's the implementation — the consistent implementation — of this new framework," Molinar said. "And we are not going to allow anyone not to implement that on a consistent basis."
Focus on long-term progress
While district leaders are encouraged by the gains, they acknowledge that sustained improvement is critical, especially as they work to avoid state intervention.
"Our scores show the commissioner that we are headed in the right direction," Molinar said. "And we've already been aggressive about putting action steps in place to address the student issues."
Grantham echoed that sentiment.
"We want to make sure we never take our foot off the gas," he said. "I don't think you can look at the scores and say we've done enough as a state."
