Parents and students deserve more than a snake oil salesman like Mike Miles.
No more data games. Put students first.
Mike Miles has inflated ratings by systematically holding back students and denying them access to advanced courses and full books.
But there is another trend that raises serious questions. HISD enrollment has been in free fall since the state takeover. So why is the number of students taking STAAR Alternate 2 moving in the opposite direction?
STAAR data from the Texas Research Portal shows a staggering 42% increase in grade 3 students taking STAAR Alt 2 between 2022 and 2026. Grades 4 through 7 also saw increases, though they were less dramatic.
STAAR Alt 2 is not for students with disabilities who are simply behind academically. It is reserved for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who need intensive, individualized instruction.
Federal law also sets a 1% statewide cap on the number of students who can take alternate assessments like STAAR Alt 2.
One teacher's account may help explain the trend. This past year, a teacher at an NES school reported being told to change a student’s IEP to add hygiene and toileting needs the student did not have. The change would have moved the student from the regular STAAR, which most students with disabilities take, to the easier STAAR Alt 2 assessment.
Since about 90% of students taking STAAR Alt 2 pass the assessment, moving more students to STAAR Alt 2 will improve school ratings without necessarily improving student learning. Placing students with disabilities in STAAR Alt 2 simply because they struggle to pass the regular STAAR violates federal law.
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