Montgomery ISD Tops State in 2026 STAAR
Montgomery ISD students excelled on Spring 2026 STAAR exams, outperforming state averages in 24 of 25 categories.
MONTGOMERY — Montgomery Independent School District students have once again demonstrated high levels of academic proficiency, outperforming the state average on the Spring 2026 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exams in 24 out of 25 assessed categories.
The data, released by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) earlier this week, highlights a year of substantial growth for the district, which serves more than 9,000 students. The district saw widespread success in core subjects, with scores in English Language Arts (ELA), Reading, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies consistently surpassing the state’s benchmark percentages for students performing at "grade level or above" and those achieving "masters grade level."
The results arrive as the state continues to refine the STAAR Redesign, an initiative launched in recent years to move away from purely multiple-choice assessments toward more rigorous, open-ended question formats. Education experts have noted that these changes were designed to better measure critical thinking and complex problem-solving skills rather than rote memorization.
Furthermore, this testing cycle marked the debut of three new End-of-Course (EOC) exams—Algebra II, English III, and U.S. History—that were factored into this year's accountability metrics. Despite the increased complexity of the testing landscape, Montgomery ISD officials confirmed that every campus in the district met the state’s growth standards, a key metric that tracks the progress individual students make from year to year regardless of their starting point.
"These results reflect the dedication and hard work of our students, teachers, staff, and families," said Superintendent Dr. Amy Anderson. "Our commitment to academic excellence and the innovative instructional strategies employed throughout the district are clearly paying off."
The academic success has drawn praise from the district's leadership. Board President Mindy DeCosta expressed her satisfaction with the trajectory of the district, emphasizing the collaborative nature of the achievement.
"I am immensely proud of our students and our educators," DeCosta said. "To see this level of performance across the board, especially with the introduction of more challenging testing formats, is a testament to the quality of education we are providing in Montgomery."
The STAAR exam remains a primary tool used by the state to gauge academic readiness for college and career paths. While the TEA uses these scores to assign letter grades to districts, Montgomery ISD officials indicated that they view the data as a roadmap to continue refining their curriculum.
District leaders are expected to present a more granular breakdown of the scores, including campus-specific data and comparative year-over-year trends, during the upcoming Board of Trustees meeting.
For families interested in reviewing individual campus performance, the full data set is available through the Texas Education Agency’s official accountability portal at txschools.gov. Parents are also encouraged to contact their child’s specific campus office for information regarding how to interpret individual student score reports and the resources available to support continued learning.