Texas Urban Council (TUC) districts continued to accelerate student achievement on End-of-Course (EOC) assessments in 2026, with every district posting gains in the percentage of students meeting grade level standards across all five tested subjects. Across all EOCs, TUC increased the percentage of students meeting grade-level standards by 7 points since 2025, surpassing statewide gains by 2 percentage points. The results provide encouraging evidence that investments in instructional quality, educator effectiveness, and cross-district collaboration are translating into stronger outcomes for students.
Students in TUC districts are now meeting Algebra I grade-level standards at the same rate as students across Texas
In Algebra I, TUC districts increased the percentage of students meeting grade level standards by 9 percentage points since 2025 for a total 15 percentage point gain since 2024. Dallas ISD, Fort Worth ISD, and El Paso ISD each posted double-digit gains in a single year, while every TUC district improved by at least two percentage points from 2025 to 2026. These gains are particularly important because success in Algebra I increases student access to college-aligned math courses in high school which is linked to higher rates of postsecondary enrollment and completion. Research demonstrates that postsecondary attainment is associated with increased lifetime earnings.
These gains mean more students have built the academic foundation necessary for success in postsecondary education and the workforce of tomorrow.
Growth was widespread across districts and subjects
While Algebra I is a standout, 2026 results also demonstrate growth that was not isolated to a single district or content area.
Across all five EOC subjects—Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology, and U.S. History—every TUC district increased the percentage of students meeting grade level standards by at least four percentage points from 2025 to 2026. Dallas ISD, Houston ISD, and Aldine ISD each posted double-digit gains in combined EOC scores since 2024.
Biology outcomes also showed substantial momentum, with collective TUC districts increasing the students meeting grade level standards by 11 percentage points since 2025 for a total 16 percentage point gain since 2024. Dallas ISD, Brownsville ISD, Fort Worth ISD, Ysleta ISD, Houston ISD, Corpus Christi ISD, and El Paso ISD all posted double-digit gains from 2025 to 2026.
Additional bright spots emerged across English and U.S. History assessments. Brownsville ISD, Ysleta ISD, and Austin ISD posted strong English I and English II outcomes following continued gains from 2025, while Dallas ISD, Ysleta ISD, Corpus Christi ISD, Houston ISD, Alief ISD, Aldine ISD, Austin ISD, and Brownsville ISD all grew students meeting grade level standards in U.S. History by at least 4 percentage points.
Taken together, the results point to system-wide improvement across urban districts serving many of Texas’ highest-need student populations.
Shared instructional focus is helping drive results
Over the past several years, TUC districts have increasingly aligned around a shared belief: strong student outcomes depend on strong instruction in every classroom. Across districts, leaders have collaborated to strengthen instructional systems, expand access to high-quality instructional materials (HQIM), and invest in teacher effectiveness strategies designed to improve learning at scale.
A core component of that work has focused on identifying and retaining effective educators. By helping districts identify, reward, and retain highly effective teachers, the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) supports one of the strongest school-based drivers of student achievement: an excellent teacher. Ten of the eleven TUC districts are currently implementing TIA, resulting in approximately 7,800 TIA-designated educators across participating systems. In 2025 alone, TUC districts drew down approximately $95 million in TIA funding, with at least 90 percent going directly to educator salaries.
TUC Chair and Alief ISD Superintendent, Dr. Anthony Mays said the continued EOC growth reflects years of sustained investment in instructional quality and educator support.
“We know the most important factor inside a school building is the quality of instruction students experience every day,” Dr. Mays said. “Across TUC districts, we’ve worked together to strengthen instructional systems, expand access to high-quality instructional materials, and invest in the teachers leading our classrooms. The progress we’re seeing on EOC exams reflects years of intentional collaboration and a shared commitment to student success.”
District leaders also point to the role that collaboration and shared accountability continue to play in accelerating improvement across urban systems. By openly benchmarking results and learning from one another’s successes, TUC districts have increasingly built a model centered on continuous improvement.
“What makes the Texas Urban Council special is that districts are intent on learning from one another and we hold ourselves accountable to continuous improvement,” said Dr. Stephanie Elizalde, superintendent of Dallas ISD. “Our students deserve access to excellent instruction and strong academic opportunities regardless of their zip code. These gains show what is possible when urban districts work together around proven practices and remain relentlessly focused on outcomes for students.”
The 2026 EOC results build on broader trends highlighted in the recently released Texas Urban Council Annual Report, which documents accelerated academic recovery across multiple grade levels and subjects in recent years.
While challenges remain, the 2026 EOC results demonstrate that sustained investments in effective teaching, strong instructional systems, and cross-district collaboration are helping more students reach grade-level expectations. As TUC districts continue to learn from one another and scale proven practices, the momentum seen in 2026 provides a strong foundation for continued academic growth across Texas urban schools.