Press release

For the Fifth Consecutive Year, Fifth Graders in Texas Districts Using STEMscopes Achieve Higher Passing Rates on STAAR Science Test

0
Sponsored by Businesswire

For the fifth year in a row, Texas school districts using the STEMscopes™ science curriculum from Accelerate Learning had higher passing rates on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR™) grade 5 science test, compared to districts that did not use STEMscopes.

In a new study of the 2018-19 STAAR science test, which included 403,811 fifth grade students, the average passing was 70 percent for all 1,148 Texas districts that include fifth grade. In the 427 districts that used STEMscopes, the average passing rate was 74 percent. In the 721 districts that used a district-created or other science curriculum, the average passing rate was 69 percent. STEMscopes districts also had higher rates of students who met and mastered grade-level performance. In addition, STEMscopes districts had higher passing rates for economically disadvantaged, African American, Latino, and limited English proficient (LEP) students.

The study also conducted analyses to examine the results while accounting for previous year achievement and important demographic variables. Districts that used the STEMscopes science curriculum continued to have significantly higher overall science achievement compared to districts that did not use STEMscopes. STEMscopes was associated with an increase of 3 percentage points for students who approached grade-level performance, 3 percentage points for students who met grade-level performance, and 2 percentage points for students who mastered grade-level performance.

“For the fifth consecutive year, we congratulate our Texas STEMscopes’ districts on their success in raising student interest and achievement in science,” said Vernon Johnson, president and CEO of Accelerate Learning. “These results clearly demonstrate what happens when teachers are equipped with a curriculum that provides engaging, inquiry-based instruction that not only builds a deep understanding in science, mathematics, engineering and technology but connects it to the real world.”

About STEMscopes

STEMscopes, created by Accelerate Learning Inc., is an award-winning, research-based national leader in PreK-12 STEM curriculum. Used by over 4.5 million students across all 50 states, STEMscopes provides comprehensive digital resources, supplemental print materials, and hands-on exploration kits that drive engagement and academic growth.

For more information, visit http://stemscopes.com or call toll-free 800-531-0864.