March 24, 2004 - Austin third-grade students again mirrored their counterparts across the State—and all student groups showed gains over last year—on the 2004 Texas Assessment of Knowledge & Skills (TAKS) reading test.

• View All TAKS Results  
 
Results received from the Texas Education Agency show that 91 percent of the 4,189 Austin third graders passed the English version of the reading test — a tougher test than in 2003. This year, students were required to correctly answer 23 out of 36 questions to pass; last year, a passing score was earned with 20 correct answers out of 36 questions.  
 
State results, released today by TEA, showed 91 percent of third graders passing the English TAKS reading exam. The test was administered statewide on March 3.  
 
This is the second year of Texas’ new assessment program. In 2003, approximately 86 percent of Austin third graders met a comparable passing standard on the reading test on their first try, as compared to 91 percent in 2004. Third graders must pass the TAKS reading exam to be promoted to fourth grade. Students who did not pass the test will have two more opportunities, on April 28 and June 29.  
 
A total of 628 Austin third graders must retake the reading exam, either in English or Spanish, in 2004, compared to 711 in 2003.  
 
“Our third graders went to the head of the class on this tougher exam,” Austin School Superintendent Pat Forgione said.  
The Superintendent also commended the District’s third grade teachers and principals whose work since 2002 in implementing AISD’s new curriculum yielded impressive TAKS scores two years in a row.  
 
“In Austin, we say that our new curriculum is ‘TEKS-based and TAKS-ready’. That means that our classroom instruction is fully aligned with state standards, the Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills or TEKS, which prepares students for success on the TAKS tests,” Dr. Forgione said.  
 
Comparing these 2004 TAKS reading scores with those from 2003, every Austin student group showed substantial gains, using this year’s tougher passing standard for the measurement:  
 
All Students:  
2004: 91 percent  
2003: 86 percent  
Difference: +5  
 
African American:  
2004: 79 percent  
2003: 70 percent  
Difference: +9  
 
Hispanic:  
2004: 88 percent  
2003: 82 percent  
Difference: +6  
 
White:  
2004: 98 percent  
2003: 97 percent  
Difference: +1  
 
Econ. Disadvantaged:  
2004: 83 percent  
2003: 76 percent  
Difference: +7  
 
Limited-English-Proficient:  
2004: 90 percent  
2003: 85 percent  
Difference: +5  
 
Special Education:  
2004: 83 percent  
2003: 73 percent  
Difference: +10  
 
“We are especially proud of the gains made by African American, Economically Disadvantaged and Hispanic students,” Dr. Forgione said.“Clearly, our efforts to close the achievement gap are working. Our students are making notable progress.”  
 
TAKS results also show that 79 percent of Austin third graders who took the Spanish-language reading exam — a total of 1,077 students — passed the test, lower than the State’s 83 percent.  
 
“The District has a plan and program in place to provide intensive in-school, after-school, and summer school interventions to all students who did not meet the passing standard on this first administration,” Dr. Forgione said.  
 
AISD’s Student Success Initiative (SSI) has been in place since early fall 2002 for students at risk of not meeting passing standards. With the results from this first administration, the SSI program enters Phase II support for students who failed the first examination.