Texas Students Improve in Math as Reading Stalls

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The Texas Education Agency (TEA) recently released the Spring 2026 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) results for students in grades 3 through 8, providing the latest snapshot of academic performance across the state. The results show continued gains in mathematics, modest improvements in select reading grades, and incremental progress in social studies.

Taken together with the recently released 2026 STAAR End-of-Course (EOC) assessment results, the data suggest Texas students continue to recover academically while benefiting from targeted education reforms designed to expand advanced coursework opportunities and improve student achievement.

The results also reinforce a broader trend visible in national data. Texas continues to outperform many states in mathematics while facing persistent challenges in reading proficiency.

2026 Texas STAAR Math Scores Continue to Improve

The strongest takeaway from the 2026 STAAR results is continued improvement in mathematics achievement.

Grade 4 students posted the largest gain, with the percentage of students meeting grade level increasing by four percentage points. Grades 5, 6, and 8 also recorded gains, while Grade 3 remained stable.

At first glance, Grade 7 mathematics appears to be an exception, showing a decline in students meeting grade level. However, the decline is largely a reflection of changing test participation patterns rather than declining student achievement. A growing number of seventh-grade students are taking Grade 8 mathematics and Algebra I assessments, meaning many of the state’s highest-performing math students are no longer represented in the Grade 7 testing population.

When student performance is measured by enrolled grade level instead of assessment taken, the percentage of students meeting grade-level expectations increased across every grade level.

This distinction matters because it reflects a broader shift in Texas education policy and student acceleration opportunities.

Advanced Mathematics Pathways Are Delivering Results

One of the most significant developments in the 2026 STAAR data is the continued expansion of advanced mathematics participation.

In 2023, the Texas Legislature enacted Senate Bill 2124 (SB 2124), authored by former State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), which automatically enrolls qualifying students in advanced mathematics pathways that can lead to Algebra I completion by eighth grade. Since then, the percentage of seventh-grade students taking the Grade 8 mathematics STAAR assessment has doubled from 16 percent to 32 percent.

Texas has effectively doubled the number of middle school students participating in advanced mathematics coursework in just three years. The trend is particularly notable among economically disadvantaged students. More than 65,000 low-income seventh graders took the Grade 8 mathematics assessment in 2026, representing a substantial increase in participation in advanced coursework.

Perhaps most importantly, student performance continued improving even as participation expanded. In many education initiatives, increased access can be accompanied by declining outcomes. The 2026 results suggest Texas may be achieving both simultaneously.

National comparisons further reinforce the state’s progress in mathematics. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, often referred to as the nation’s report card, Texas ranked 8th nationally in 4th grade mathematics and 3rd nationally when adjusting for student demographics. Nationally, many states continue struggling to recover from pandemic-era learning losses. Texas’ mathematics gains suggest the state has recovered more successfully than many of its peers, particularly in elementary mathematics and accelerated coursework participation.

For policymakers, the advanced mathematics pathway may be the most significant education policy success story in the 2026 results. Lawmakers enacted a specific reform, expanded access to advanced coursework, and can now point to measurable increases in participation and student performance. That is exactly the type of outcome policymakers should seek when evaluating education reforms.

Texas Reading Scores Continue to Lag Behind Math Performance

While mathematics continues to improve, reading remains Texas’ most persistent academic challenge.

Reading Language Arts performance was largely unchanged across most grade levels. Grade 8 reading improved by three percentage points and Grade 7 improved by two percentage points. Grades 4, 5, and 6 remained unchanged from 2025 levels, while Grade 3 declined slightly.

The results are not catastrophic, but they are a reminder that literacy remains an area where Texas has struggled to generate the same level of improvement seen in mathematics. Reading proficiency is foundational to success across nearly every academic subject. Students who struggle with reading often face challenges later in science, social studies, and advanced coursework.

The reading results are also consistent with broader national trends. According to NAEP data, Texas ranked 37th nationally in 4th grade reading and 44th nationally in 8th grade reading in 2024. While reading challenges are not unique to Texas, the contrast between the state’s math performance and reading performance suggests literacy remains one of the most significant academic issues facing Texas students and policymakers.

While TEA Commissioner Mike Morath suggested that recent gains in middle school reading could potentially be associated with Texas’s statewide school cell phone restrictions, it remains too early to draw definitive conclusions. Additional years of data will be needed to determine whether those improvements represent a lasting trend.

2026 STAAR End-of-Course Results Reinforce Academic Progress

The recently released 2026 STAAR End-of-Course assessment results tell a similar story.

Across Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II, and U.S. History, the percentage of students meeting grade level increased compared to 2025. Particularly notable were gains in Algebra I and Biology, where students meeting grade level increased by seven and nine percentage points, respectively.

Economically disadvantaged students also experienced gains across every End-of-Course subject area.

The consistency between the Grades 3-8 STAAR results and End-of-Course results strengthens the case that Texas students are continuing to make measurable academic progress, particularly in mathematics, advanced coursework participation, and college readiness pathways.

Texas Education Policy Implications

The 2026 STAAR results offer several important lessons for lawmakers.

First, the data suggest that targeted reforms may be more effective than broad spending increases alone. Texas has devoted significant resources to public education in recent years, yet some of the strongest gains appear tied to specific policy changes such as expanded advanced mathematics pathways.

Second, the results demonstrate why policymakers should focus on outcomes rather than inputs. The most encouraging developments in the 2026 STAAR results are tied to measurable student achievement gains and expanded academic opportunities, not simply increases in education spending.

Third, literacy should remain a primary focus of future education reforms. Reading achievement has improved only marginally compared to mathematics, suggesting policymakers should continue evaluating which interventions are most effective at improving student outcomes.

Fourth, lawmakers should closely monitor programs such as the Parent Access to Supplemental Supports (PASS) program, which provides qualifying families with literacy tutoring assistance. The goal should not simply be creating new programs but identifying interventions that demonstrably improve reading proficiency and long-term student success.

Finally, the results reinforce the importance of transparency and accountability. State assessments are not perfect measures of educational success, but they remain one of the few consistent tools available for evaluating academic outcomes across districts and over time. Parents, taxpayers, and lawmakers all benefit from having clear data that helps identify what is working and where improvement is still needed.

It is also worth noting that the 2026 STAAR results reflect the current public education system before two major education changes are fully implemented. Texas’ new Education Savings Account (ESA) school choice program is set to begin in the 2026-27 school year, meaning these results do not yet reflect any potential effects from expanded school choice. Separately, lawmakers have moved to replace the STAAR exam with shorter assessments administered more frequently throughout the school year beginning in the 2027-28 school year. As those changes take effect, policymakers should be careful to preserve transparency, comparability, and accountability so Texans can continue measuring whether students are actually improving.

Final Thoughts

The 2026 STAAR results provide reasons for cautious optimism.

Texas students continue making meaningful gains in mathematics. Participation in advanced coursework is expanding. End-of-Course assessments show improvement across every tested subject. Economically disadvantaged students are increasingly accessing opportunities that were previously available to fewer students. National comparisons reinforce those findings. Texas continues to perform relatively well in mathematics compared to many other states, suggesting recent reforms are producing measurable results.

At the same time, literacy has emerged as the state’s most significant academic challenge. While mathematics outcomes continue improving and advanced coursework participation expands, reading achievement has not experienced comparable gains. Both STAAR and NAEP data indicate literacy is the area where Texas has the greatest opportunity for improvement.

The lesson from this year’s results is straightforward. Targeted reforms tied to measurable outcomes appear capable of improving student achievement. The challenge for lawmakers moving forward will be applying those lessons to literacy while ensuring Texas continues building on its strengths in mathematics, college readiness, and academic achievement.

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