SAISD Reports Most Kindergarteners Enter School Below Reading Benchmarks

SAN ANGELO, TX — San Angelo ISD leaders sounded an alarm Monday after reviewing new early-literacy data showing that a majority of local kindergarten students are entering school significantly below reading benchmarks, a trend board members said reflects a broader communitywide problem.

Deputy Superintendent of Academics and School Leadership Farrah Gomez presented the findings during the district’s regular board meeting, reporting that about 50% of SAISD kindergarten students tested “well below” grade level at the beginning of the school year on the district’s mCLASS reading assessment. 

Those numbers place SAISD behind both state and national averages. Statewide, about 39% of kindergarteners tested “well below,” compared with 44% nationally.

Gomez told trustees the data reflects “a concern as a district,” and said the issue extends beyond schools, calling it “a concern… as a community, with our earliest learners entering school well below grade level.”

She said kindergarteners who attended SAISD pre-K programs entered school closer to national readiness benchmarks, and those who participated in the district’s bilingual pre-K program showed even stronger results, with 24% testing below benchmark compared with 60% among students who attended the general SAISD pre-K program.

Board members pointed to the data as evidence that early learning challenges extend beyond the school system. “As a community, we are failing these kids,” said Board President Taylor Kingman. “We are going to do everything we can to get them where they need to be, but we need to understand that we are starting behind the eight ball." 

Trustees said families, child care providers and community organizations all play a role in preparing young learners, especially as academic expectations have risen in recent years. Several members noted that many parents and caregivers may not know what kindergarten readiness looks like today.

Gomez also reviewed MAP assessment trends in the upper grades, noting persistent challenges in seventh-grade math and English. She said students are still working to meet projected growth in those areas, even as the district implements more rigorous curriculum materials.

Board members acknowledged the demands placed on teachers under new instructional approaches.

Gomez said the district’s updated curriculum requires significant preparation and noted that “our teachers are working extremely hard” to meet new expectations.

The data presented reflected beginning-of-year assessments, and trustees discussed how early performance gaps affect students as they move through later grades.