Aldine ISD made up some ground on standardized tests and reduced its high teacher turnover rate in 2023-24, though the long-struggling district continues to hire a large number of new and uncertified teachers.
The results, detailed in state reports released over the past few months, signal modest progress by the northern Harris County district in the sixth year of Superintendent LaTonya Goffney’s tenure. A Houston Landing investigation published in September detailed how Aldine students have staggered under Goffney’s leadership, falling even further behind similar districts on tests and measure of readiness for life after high school.
The reports show Aldine, home to roughly 58,000 students last school year, remains well behind the rest of the state and trails some comparable districts on multiple academic and staffing fronts. But after years of backpedaling, the 2023-24 results mark somewhat of a reversal.
Throughout her tenure, Goffney has remained popular in the district and with Aldine’s school board, which voted in November to extend her contract by two years through 2029. Aldine administrators have said they’re searching for answers to the district’s struggles, noting that they’ve changed curriculums, added several new initiatives and grappled with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement, Aldine leaders said the district has revamped instruction, added more coaching for staff and better organized its targeted support for students needing the most help.
“These efforts align with the district’s newly launched strategic plan, which prioritizes setting a high standard for teaching and learning in every classroom,” Aldine Director of External Communications Ashley Brown said in a statement.
Here’s a breakdown of Aldine’s performance in 2023-24.
Math, reading scores nudge higher
Aldine’s improvement on the state’s primary standardized tests, known as STAAR, slightly outpaced the rest of the state and four similar districts: Alief, Fort Worth, Irving and Pasadena ISDs.
The share of Aldine students scoring at “meets grade level” — meaning they’re highly likely to succeed in the subject the following school year — totaled 34 percent in 2023-24, a 2 percentage point increase from the year before. The four similar districts saw no change or a 1 percentage point increase, while the state average ticked up 1 percentage point.
About 27 percent of Aldine students scored meets grade level on math in 2023-24, up 1 percentage point from the previous year. Similar districts were flat or fell up to 3 percentage points. The state average dipped 2 percentage points.
Teacher turnover drops
The district saw a decrease in the share of teachers leaving the district, with 19 percent departing ahead of the 2023-24 school year, roughly in line with the state average and similar districts. About 27 percent of teachers didn’t return to Aldine to start the 2022-23 school year, the highest total of Goffney’s tenure.
The district helps teachers interested in becoming assistant principals and principals to follow a leadership pipeline.
“We’re doing everything we can to ensure our students have the best guidance in the classroom while also supporting and strengthening our educators,” Brown said. “Leadership matters and we strive to nurture a culture that cultivates commitment and retention.”
Still lacking experience
Aldine hired an above-average share of new and uncertified teachers, who historically have a worse impact on students than experienced, certified educators.
One-in-five Aldine teachers had no prior experience in the classroom in 2023-24, according to state data, more than double the statewide rate.
The district hired 637 teachers headed into the 2023-24 school year, roughly half of whom weren’t certified, according to data published by the Texas Education Agency. About one-third of newly hired teachers across Texas weren’t certified to start the last school year.
Aldine leaders said the district works with new teachers to provide them with mentorship, coaching and additional planning days through its SHINE program.
“We focus on creating a positive culture and climate with innovative practices, like breaks in October and February built into our instructional calendar,” Brown said.
Enrollment keeps dropping
Aldine’s enrollment declined from about 60,100 students in 2022-23 to 57,800 students last school year, a 4 percent drop.
District leaders have attributed the losses to multiple factors, including lower birth rates in the area, shifts in where families with school-age children live, and more families choosing to send students to charter schools.
In January, Aldine administrators proposed closing seven campuses at the end of this school year in response to the declining enrollment. Aldine’s school board is scheduled to vote Feb. 25 on the proposal.
Aldine did report a slight increase in 2023-24 in the share of students receiving special education support, which rose from 9.7 to 10.7 percent. The state average is 14 percent.
More data to come
State officials have not yet released graduation rates for 2023-24, a data point that typically lags by one year in Texas. Aldine’s graduation rate has hovered between 81 and 83 percent under Goffney, below the state average of 90 percent.
Aldine’s share of Class of 2024 graduates considered ready for college, career or the military — also known as CCMR — also isn’t yet available. The district’s CCMR rate went from 51 percent in 2022 to 64 percent in 2023 — a significant increase but still trailing the state average of 76 percent and the worst among the four comparable districts.
Graduation and CCMR data should be available later this summer.
Angelica Perez is a general assignment reporter for the Landing’s education team. Find her @byangelicaperez on Instagram and X, or reach her directly at angelica@houstonlanding.org.