Texas STAAR EOC scores rise across all five high school subjects

Texas released 2026 STAAR end-of-course results showing gains in Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II and U.S. History. The data point to continued academic recovery, though Algebra I and U.S. History still trail pre-pandemic performance.

Why it matters: - The 2026 STAAR EOC results suggest Texas high school students are recovering academically across core subjects. - Stronger results in Algebra I and English can affect college readiness, workforce preparation and graduation pathways. - The gains come as Texas keeps pushing more investment into college, career and military readiness.

What happened: - The Texas Education Agency released 2026 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness end-of-course results for five high school subjects: Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II and U.S. History. - Results improved in all five subjects compared with 2025. - Biology and Algebra I posted the largest gains. - The results were released in Austin on June 10, 2026.

The details: - Biology had the strongest result. 71% of students met grade-level expectations in 2026, up from 62% in 2025 and 63% in 2019. - Algebra I improved to 54% in 2026 from 47% in 2025, but remained below the 62% posted in 2019. - English I rose to 55% from 51% in 2025 and was above the 49% level in 2019. - English II increased to 60% from 56% in 2025 and exceeded the 51% result in 2019. - U.S. History reached 70% in 2026, up from 68% in 2025, but stayed below 75% in 2019. - Texas 2036 said the gains reflect continued recovery and progress toward stronger high school outcomes. - Texas 2036’s full analysis is available online. - STAAR grades 3-8 results will be released June 16.

Between the lines: - Algebra I remains the clearest weak spot because it has not yet returned to pre-pandemic performance. - U.S. History also has not fully recovered to 2019 levels. - Texas policymakers have tied high school performance more closely to post-graduation outcomes, which raises the stakes for these test results. - Texas 2036 linked the gains to recent legislative changes and expanded access to advanced coursework.

What’s next: - Texas will release STAAR results for grades 3-8 on June 16. - Texas educators and policymakers are likely to keep using EOC performance as a measure of readiness for college, careers and military service. - Ongoing reforms and funding aimed at high school rigor will be tested by whether Algebra I and other subjects can return to or exceed 2019 levels.

The bottom line: - Texas high school test scores are moving in the right direction, but the state still has work to do to fully recover in key subjects like Algebra I.