STAAR test results show progress at Fleming Middle School under Houston ISD’s NES model

Houston, TX – Over the past few weeks, KPRC 2 has reported on the Houston Independent School District’s STAAR exam results, which show significant improvement since the takeover of the Texas Education Agency and the appointment of Superintendent Mike Miles.

Miles introduced several changes to the district, the most notable being his New Education System (NES), which received mixed reactions from parents, teachers and students.

The results of this year’s exam, while imperfect, showed some success thanks to Miles’ rigorous plan, which he said still needs work.

“We’ve grown, we’ve outpaced not only the state but most other urban districts in overall performance,” Miles said. “Our economically disadvantaged students have grown and closed the gap. You know, there’s a huge gap in this district, so we can’t close it overnight. But if we can grow by a few percentage points, that will be great.”

For the 2023-2024 school year, KPRC 2 decided to embed reporter Candace Burns at Fleming Middle School, a campus that was part of Miles’ NES model, to document the changes that occurred during the point year from the perspective of teachers, students and parents.

During our exclusive one-on-one interview with Miles this week, he shared the results of Fleming’s STAAR test.

It also reported that middle school students showed the greatest improvements and that NES schools showed even higher gains than the district average. Although there is still a significant gap between some demographics in HISD, it has begun to narrow.

The results

While reading

Sixth year:

• In 2023, 106 students were tested in reading. Of these, 18% met test standards and 5% mastered the content.

• In 2024, the number of students tested increased slightly to 108. The results showed significant improvement, with 28% of students meeting the test standard and 10% mastering it.

Seventh grade:

• In 2023, 120 students were tested in reading. 25% met the standard and 4% mastered it.

• In 2024, although the number of students tested fell to 99, performance improved significantly, with 36% of students meeting the standard and 11% mastering the test.

Eigth year:

• In 2023, 126 students were tested. 21% met the standard and 2% mastered it.

• In 2024, 136 students were tested, of which 29% met the standard and 10% mastered it.

Mathematics

Sixth year:

• In 2023, 108 students were tested in mathematics. Only 8% met the standard and 1% mastered the test.

• In 2024, the number of students tested was 107. There was a slight improvement, with 10% meeting the standard and 2% mastering the content.

Seventh grade:

• In 2023, 103 students were tested. 7% met the standard and 1% mastered the content.

• In 2024, the number of students tested dropped significantly to 77. Unfortunately, performance also declined, with only 4% meeting the standard and none mastering the content.

Eigth year:

• In 2023, 107 students were tested. 25% met the standard and 3% mastered the content.

• In 2024, 113 students were tested. Performance improved significantly, with 41% meeting the standard and 8% mastering the content.

SEE MORE REPORTS FROM KPRC YEAR 2 INSIDE FLEMING MIDDLE SCHOOL

‘I don’t teach to test’: Fleming Middle School takes a different approach to STAAR prep

Mid-Year Test Results Show Fleming MS Students’ Growth in Reading, Math and Science Thanks to New NES Model

How This Fleming MS Teacher Used the Teaching Model to Improve Her Students’ Grades in 3 Weeks

‘Vikings Will Conquer Japan’: 8th Grade Students Surprised With Free Trip Through Houston ISD’s NES Model

“It’s not a detention center”: in HISD’s “Team Centers”, which have taken over certain libraries on NES campuses

Fleming MS celebrates students’ academic progress using the NES model with the “Viking of the Week” program

In an NES Classroom: How This Fleming MS Teacher Used the Teaching Model to Improve Her Students’ Grades in 3 Weeks

First look at Fleming Middle School, HISD KPRC 2 campus will spend a year chronicling

‘It’s strict’: Students and parents highlight the changes and challenges of being part of an NES-aligned campus for 5 months

‘I don’t like that 10-minute timer’: Students voice concerns about NES model

How do you rate HISD so far? We asked students and parents at Fleming Middle School to note the changes.