Richardson ISD reports student growth exceeding national norms

During its October regular meeting, the Richardson ISD Board of Trustees reviewed academic performance data and adopted new improvement plans for the 2026–27 school year. The board highlighted Beginning-of-Year MAP scores, which indicate that students across grade levels are making progress and, on average, outperforming national norms in both Reading and Mathematics.

According to the district’s presentation, year-over-year cohort tracking from Fall 2025 to Fall 2026 shows that 53% of students in Reading and 54% in Math met their growth targets. These figures exceed the national growth norm of 50%. The district noted that gains were observed across every student demographic group, including African American, Hispanic, White, Economically Disadvantaged, Emergent Bilingual, and Special Education students.

State assessment results also showed that 53% of third-grade students reached proficiency in Reading and 47% in Math. At the high school level, 98% of graduating seniors met College, Career and Military Readiness criteria, a result the district stated significantly exceeded its original goal.

The board also adopted the 2026–27 District Improvement Plan, which aligns with campus-level strategies. District leaders presented Campus Improvement Plans, Targeted Improvement Plans, and Turnaround Plans. Lake Highlands Middle School and Jess Harben Elementary exited school improvement status, while Aikin and Wallace elementary schools moved to a lower level of support. The district’s overall state accountability rating is B.

For the 2026–27 school year, the district’s priorities focus on Growth, Talent, Instruction, Engagement, and Stewardship. These priorities guide instructional strategies, including the use of high-quality materials, Multi-Tiered System of Supports, and collaborative lesson planning to support student achievement.