Texas Education Agency

AUSTIN - An overwhelming majority of fifth and eighth-grade students have passed the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) reading and math tests, which means they met the state promotion requirements that are tied to the testing program.

Statewide test results released today show that 91 percent of eighth-grade students passed the TAKS reading test and 80 percent passed the TAKS mathematics test.

Forty-six percent of the eighth-grade students correctly answered at least 45 of the 48 test questions on the reading test and earned a Commended Performance designation. Twenty-three percent of the eighth-grade students achieved Commended Performance on the mathematic assessment, which means they correctly answered at least 45 of the 50 test questions.

At fifth grade, 85 percent of the students who took the TAKS in English passed the reading test and 86 percent passed the mathematics test. Thirty-three percent of the students earned Commended Performance in reading and 42 percent earned Commended Performance in math. That means, the students who received this top performance level answered at least 39 of 42 reading questions correctly and at least 40 of 44 math questions correctly.

More than 331,000 students took the fifth-grade test in English. The test is also available in Spanish for those who qualify to take it.

Among the 7,091 who took the fifth-grade reading test in Spanish, 73 percent passed the test and 21 percent achieved Commended Performance. Of the 3,599 students who took the mathematics test in Spanish, 44 percent passed and 14 percent earned Commended Performance.

Students must pass the reading and math tests at these two grade levels, along with their classes, in order to meet the promotion requirements under the state’s Student Success Initiative law.

Students who failed the tests have two more opportunities to take and pass the exams. The mathematics tests for both grades will be given on May 18 and June 29. The reading test will be given on May 19 and June 30 for both grades.

Additional instruction is offered to those who fail the tests. Any student who ultimately does not pass the test will be retained at their current grade level. Parents may appeal the retention to a Grade Placement Committee, made up of an administrator, teacher and parents. The child can be promoted to the next grade if there is a unanimous decision by the committee and if the child has completed all required additional instruction. Whether retained or promoted, additional academic support is to be offered to the student who failed either test during the next year.

A change in state law removed the requirement that students at grade 3 pass TAKS to be promoted; however, a requirement was also added that requires school districts to consider a student's passage on TAKS in determining promotion at all tested grades.

Presently, the Texas Education Agency only has statewide results available. To obtain results for your area, please contact your local district.

Page last modified on 6/28/2010.