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A teacher helps a student subtract two numbers during Saturday school Jan. 20, 2024, at Rufino Mendoza Elementary in Fort Worth ISD. (Jacob Sanchez | Fort Worth Report)
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Not much has changed academically for students in Fort Worth in the past year.

Newly released state standardized test results from spring 2024 show schools in the city saw a 1 percentage-point drop in the number of students meeting grade level across subjects, according to the Fort Worth Education Partnership. The Texas Education Agency released results for third- through eighth-grade reading and math tests.

The stagnant results come as school districts face the expiration of federal pandemic relief funds that were mostly meant for academic recovery. Districts also are facing budget cuts for a variety of reasons, including declining enrollment and static state education funding.

In spring 2024, 35% of students living in Fort Worth met grade level on State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, exams. In spring 2023, 36% did.

Fort Worth ISD, the largest school district in the city, stayed the same, too. Gains and drops were mostly in the low single-digits on the reading and math tests.

Across all subjects, 1 in 4 students in Fort Worth ISD met grade level. About 1 in 3 students met grade level in reading, while 1 in 4 met grade level in math — numbers that are consistent with 2023 results.

The number of Fort Worth ISD third graders meeting grade level on the reading test increased 1 percentage point to 33%. However, the rate is effectively the same as 2023’s 32%. Both numbers are similar to the district’s pre-pandemic rate of 33%.

Third-grade reading is an indicator of students’ future success. Students take the STAAR test for the first time at that grade level, and the results give school districts an understanding of how the children’s education is progressing.

Fort Worth ISD lags behind state averages in every grade in reading and math.

The number of Fort Worth ISD third graders meeting grade level on the math test increased 2 percentage points to 29% — up from 27% the previous year. Both numbers are right below the district’s pre-pandemic rate of 32%.

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