According to preliminary results, third and fifth grade students in the Pasadena Independent School District are continuing to show steady gains on the reading portion of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test.

Ninety-one percent of the district’s third grade students passed the test and exceeded the state’s average of 89 percent. Another bright spot in the 2006 preliminary results is a seven-percent increase in commended students as 41 percent of students districtwide received this honor as compared to 34 percent last year.

The third grade results have continued to climb since the test was first administered in 2003, as 82 percent of students passed the test that year. Fifth grade students posted a 77 percent passing rate on the 2006 reading portion of the test, but have shown continuous improvement every year. In 2003, 69 percent of fifth graders mastered the test. Spanish TAKS reading scores have also shown an 18 percent gain in the past two years, with 74 percent passing this year, as compared to 59 percent in 2004.

“We have set a goal of continuous improvement in student achievement and this year’s preliminary scores reflect gains in almost every area,” said Kirk Lewis, Pasadena ISD’s acting superintendent. “We must continue to build on this improvement.”

According to Lewis, improving the percentage of students reaching commended levels also is a top priority. “Over time, we have seen growing numbers of our students pass the state exams. The improvement in the commended level of achievement is a sign that we are addressing some of the higher-order thinking skills our students need to be more successful,” he said.

With the expectations of the fifth grade reading scores increasing every year, Lewis is encouraged by the constant gains in this area.

“The bar continues to be raised for students taking the fifth grade test,” he said. “However, our students are meeting the challenge and our scores have continued to make an upward turn over the past three years. We’re not yet where we want to be, but we’re heading in the right direction.”

Another bright spot in the preliminary third grade reading scores showed passing rates among different subgroups exceeded the state average. The preliminary totals showed 91 percent of Hispanic third grade students passed the reading TAKS, as compared to the state average of 86 percent. The totals also noted that 90 percent of economically disadvantaged students mastered the exam, while 84 percent of students in this subgroup passed statewide. In addition, preliminary numbers show an 84 percent passing rate among African-American students in the district, compared to 81 percent statewide.

“Our principals, teachers, staff and students accepted the challenge years ago that nothing would stand in the way of student achievement,” Lewis said. “We believe that every child is capable of learning and we are following a continuous path to academic excellence.”

Lewis praised the efforts of the teachers and staff in leading the students to success on the test. He noted that intensive staff development has been a contributing factor in the district’s success and that teachers have used the training to better capture the hearts and minds of students.

“Our teachers continue to use innovative and creative methods in the classroom in order to reach their students,” he said. “The constant rate of improvement is a reflection of their hard work and doing what’s best for kids.”