Our Family→Texas Reading Crisis: Spring Branch ISD Shows Path ForwardStoryAct Support reading in your community →
Act Support reading in your community
Take the next step — every action here is one tap away.
What this is
New research shows Texas students are falling behind in reading, but Spring Branch ISD proves improvement is possible with the right approach.
Texas students are falling further behind the national average in reading, according to a new report out Wednesday.
Researchers from Harvard, Stanford and Dartmouth released their fourth annual national report, the Education Scorecard, on student growth in math and reading. The report, which combined state test results for 35 million third through eighth graders with national assessment data, provides a picture of where Texas students' academic recovery stands post-pandemic.
Overall, Texas' academic growth ranked 25th out of 35 states in reading and 28th out of 38 states in math.
Before the COVID-19 disruptions, Texas students were roughly half a grade level behind the national average. Six years later, they have slipped even further below the average to roughly three-quarters of a grade level behind.
"The pandemic was the mudslide that followed seven years of erosion in student achievement," said Professor Tom Kane, faculty director of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University. "The ‘learning recession' started a decade ago, after policymakers switched off the early warning system of test-based accountability and social media took over children's lives."
Read full text
Houston ISD's results mirrored national trends. The district was on the rise for math, but not for reading, according to a review of 2022- 2025 data.
RELATED: Houston ISD launching early literacy program to bridge gaps in reading skills
Just last week the district announced a new pilot program called "Kinder Bridge" which officials described as an "extra grade level" between Kindergarten and first grade for students who struggle with reading and need more time developing those skills. The district is currently under a state takeover and state appointed superintendent Mike Miles has faced criticism for several decisions he has made impacting libraries and reading in the district, with detractors having said he has focused on improving testing outcomes instead of reading.
The report also shows chronic absenteeism — which is defined as students who miss more than 10% of the school year — fell six points from 2022 to 2024.
Districts on the Rise
Still, some bright spots exist. Three districts across the state are outperforming their peers and were identified as districts on the rise in both math and reading. Castleberry ISD in Fort Worth, Alice ISD outside of Corpus Christi, and Spring Branch ISD in Houston.
Dr. Jennifer Blaine, superintendent for Spring Branch ISD, credited the district's targeted investment in early literacy skills.
"We know that kids who read on or above grade level by the time they leave second grade are going to have access to higher level courses and they’re going to be successful post-secondary," Blaine said.
She added that federal relief funding that came in response to the pandemic was critical in providing teachers with proper support in the classroom. Texas received more than $19 billion in federal pandemic relief funds, or roughly $3,500 per student.
In Spring Branch, funds were in part used to add paraprofessionals in every kindergarten classroom, which resulted in kindergarten readiness scores more than 10 percentage points above state and regional averages.
"We were able to have those instructional specialists on the reading and the math side to really push in and do professional development with teachers and to work with kids," Blaine said.
Those federal relief funds are now gone, and the district has lost the additional support professionals. Researchers say Texas should focus school improvement dollars on middle and higher poverty districts that remain behind their pre-pandemic levels.
Five of the states that improved their reading scores, Louisiana, Maryland, Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana, all ordered schools to teach the phonics-based approach known as the "science of reading."
Dr. Annie Wolf, Associate Superintendent for Academics at Spring Branch ISD, called their early adoption of the science of reading the tipping point for the district.
"We were creating and curating some resources on our own, waiting for the industry to kind of catch back up with the science of reading research," Wolf said. "We were fully on board and I feel like it’s safe to say we were very early in that journey."
Key details
- Topic: Texas reading crisis and local school progress
- Key finding: Texas students 3/4 grade level behind in reading
- Local bright spot: Spring Branch ISD improving in math and reading
- Study scope: 35 million students from Harvard/Stanford research
- Houston ISD response: New 'Kinder Bridge' program for struggling readers
Where it reaches
- Address
- 500 per st
- Phone
- 14888184115
Available across Houston.
Why it matters
Texas kids are struggling to read, falling behind other states. This affects their future jobs and ability to be good citizens. But Spring Branch ISD shows Houston schools can improve with the right programs and community support.
How to dig in
- 1Start with the snapshot above to know what this is in a glance.
- 2Read through to understand how it connects to the bigger picture.
- 3Read more using the button above.
When you call, you can say: “Hi, I saw "Texas Reading Crisis: Spring Branch ISD Shows Path Forward" on Community Exchange and want to know how to take part.”
By the numbers
Led byHouston Public Media
Counted from the Community Exchange connection graph.