The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released STAAR EOC scores for spring 2026, and Texas students showed improvement in every single end-of-course (EOC) exam subject this year, with statewide gains in the percentage of students meeting grade level across Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II, and U.S. History. The overall takeaway from the scores is simple: Teachers and students are continuing to work magic despite the obstacles being placed in their way.  

Student achievement continues to move in the right direction, and these gains did not happen by accident. They are the result of years of hard work by classroom teachers, instructional staff, and campus leaders who have continued to support students through academic recovery efforts while navigating significant changes in curriculum, accountability, staffing, and school funding.  

Biology, English I, and English II performance now exceeds prepandemic levels statewide. U.S. History, a subject that already shows high levels of student achievement, continued to post gains, and in Algebra I, there was a statewide 7-point increase compared with the previous year. Importantly, statewide scores also increased for emergent bilingual students, special education students, and economically disadvantaged students. These improvements suggest that schools are making progress in reaching student groups that have historically faced additional barriers to student success, showing the impact of the targeted interventions, differentiated instruction, and relationship building that happens every day in Texas classrooms. 

“These results reflect the hard work of Texas students, educators, and families and demonstrate that focused instruction and high expectations continue to produce positive outcomes for students across our state,” Commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement. Morath went on to say the results could also potentially be attributed to the recent cell phone ban in Texas schools resulting in increased student focus.  

It is important to note, even while celebrating these scores, that STAAR scores provide only one snapshot of student performance, not a complete picture of student learning or school quality. These improvements are certainly worth celebrating, but given the state’s plan to transition from STAAR to the Student Success Tool beginning in the 2027-28 school year, the metrics by which we measure student performance will change yet again, forcing educators and students to once again rise to meet new challenges.  

Results for grades 3-8 will be available June 16.