Saturday, May 23, 2015

2015 STAAR Test Results Dallas ISD, a first look

The Dallas Morning News posted the Dallas ISD STAAR test results from the most recent testing for 2015.  See it at http://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/headlines/20150522-little-progress-seen-on-dallas-isds-staar-results.ece

(Now, 5-27-15, the statewide results have been received.  For the second year in a row DISD student achievement fell relative to the rest of Texas to an extent greater than any other year since before 2004!  Each 2014 and 2015 were worse, standing alone, than any year since before 2004!  I am working on a chart to demonstrate this tragedy.  It documents a much worse tragedy than the chart below.)

Using the data from that DMN article the following chart was made to reflect on the changes since 2012:

Dallas ISD STAAR Test Results for 2012 through 2015
The Dallas Morning News article linked above was far too reserved in saying these tests reflected "little progress."  If you look over the averages of the past 4 years you see a clear disaster unfolding.  The current tests from 2015 are clearly the WORST performance on this chart covering 4 years!

Dallas now had the results for the rest of Texas.  While Dallas dropped 1.5 percentage points on average for all tests grades 3-8, the entire State of Texas only dropped 2/10ths of one percent. 

The good news for the year before now, last year, is that DISD dropped 2.7 percentage points more than Texas.  This year that gap with Texas only grew by 1.3 percentage points, almost half the decline of last year.

Do we consider that progress?  DISD is only falling behind at half the rate they fell behind last year?