An analysis by the nonpartisan public policy organization Texas 2036 revealed that while Spring 2026 STAAR End-of-Course (EOC) results showed growth across all five core high school subjects, but a critical math gap persists compared to pre-pandemic baselines.
The evaluation, released following the Texas Education Agency’s disclosure of high school metrics, indicated that student performance improved statewide across Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II, and U.S. History.
According to Texas 2036, the largest single-year improvements occurred in Biology and Algebra I. In Biology, 71% of students met grade-level expectations—a nine-percentage-point increase from 2025 that pushes performance well above the 63% mark set in 2019.
Performance in English also outpaced pre-pandemic baselines, with English I rising to 55% and English II hitting 60%. Mary Lynn Pruneda, Director of Education and Workforce Policy for Texas 2036, emphasized the long-term impact of the positive data, stating, “Grade-level proficiency in foundational subjects like Algebra I and English is more than a snapshot in time. It is a direct indicator of long-term workforce readiness and economic opportunity for Texas students.”
However, the organization’s research analysts noted that the academic recovery remains unfinished and uneven. Despite a strong seven-percentage-point gain over the prior year, Algebra I scores revealed that only 54% of students met grade-level expectations, remaining significantly below the 62% proficiency rate recorded in 2019.
U.S. History similarly fell short of its pre-pandemic baseline, with 70% meeting expectations compared to 75% in 2019. Regionally, a separate subject breakdown showed that while every single Education Service Center region surpassed pre-pandemic metrics in English II, not a single region in Texas has fully returned to its 2019 baseline for Algebra I.
Texas 2036 attributed the broader upward trends to a record wave of state funding, including targeted 2025 legislative investments designed to increase high school coursework rigor and expand access to dual-credit programs.