Aldine ISD Middle Schools Show Strong Reading Growth on 2026 STAAR Assessment

All six campuses using Coursemojo's AI-powered literacy platform improved reading performance, exceeding gains at non-participating middle schools across every STAAR achievement level

HOUSTON, July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As Texas reported reading performance that remained largely steady on the 2026 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®), six Aldine ISD middle schools using an AI reading tool made significant gains on the annual RLA assessment.

Aldine ISD was an early adopter of high-quality instructional materials and continues to invest in high quality instructional materials, instructional coaching and professional learning that supports teachers as they bring those materials to life in classrooms. As part of that work, the district partnered with Coursemojo, an AI-powered literacy platform designed to support implementation of the district's core curriculum and help students engage more deeply with complex texts.

Across the six participating middle schools, students improved an average of 4.7 percentage points at the Approaches Grade Level standard, 3.7 percentage points at Meets Grade Level, and 2.6 percentage points at Masters Grade Level. Students also demonstrated meaningful gains in STAAR scale scores across every grade level, indicating academic growth beyond students moving across performance thresholds.

When compared with Aldine's nine middle schools not using Coursemojo, the six participating campuses posted stronger year-over-year growth across all three STAAR performance levels. At the Approaches Grade Level standard, Coursemojo schools improved 4.3 percentage points more than comparison schools. They also outperformed comparison campuses by 1.9 percentage points at Meets Grade Level and 2.9 percentage points at Masters Grade Level.

"Improving literacy outcomes requires a comprehensive approach built on excellent teaching, high-quality instructional materials and meaningful support for both students and teachers," said Dr. Faviola Cantú, Aldine ISD Chief Academic Officer. "We're encouraged by the progress our participating campuses made this year, and we look forward to continuing to build on that momentum as we strengthen literacy instruction across Aldine ISD."

The findings come at a time when school districts nationwide are evaluating how artificial intelligence can best support classroom instruction and are increasingly looking for evidence that new tools improve student outcomes. Aldine ISD's partnership with Coursemojo includes an outcomes-based agreement that emphasizes measurable student growth alongside implementation of the district's literacy strategy.

Coursemojo campuses outperformed comparison schools in Grades 6, 7 and 8, while students also made stronger gains in STAAR scale scores at every grade level. The gains were especially meaningful at campuses where the district has focused additional academic support as part of its ongoing literacy improvement efforts. Reading Language Arts performance improved across these campuses during the 2025-26 school year as the district works to strengthen outcomes for students.

"We're proud to partner with Aldine ISD as the district continues to strengthen literacy outcomes for students," said Dacia Toll, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Coursemojo. "These results reflect the dedication of Aldine's teachers and leaders, who have made sustained investments in strong instructional materials and teacher support. Coursemojo can help reinforce that work by making it easier for teachers to engage all students in rigorous reading and writing every day."

As the district looks ahead to the 2026-27 school year, Aldine leaders plan to expand Coursemojo's support to all middle schools and to continue investing in literacy instruction and teacher support.

About Aldine ISD
Aldine Independent School District serves students in the north Houston area and is committed to providing choices and opportunities that prepare every student for success in college, career, and life. Learn more at AldineISD.org.

About Coursemojo
Coursemojo is the only AI-powered ELA teaching assistant designed to embed directly into Tier 1 curriculum materials, helping teachers deliver rigorous, differentiated literacy instruction at scale. The platform transforms curriculum texts, questions, and writing tasks into interactive learning experiences that provide students with personalized feedback, language supports, read-aloud tools, and opportunities for revision, while giving teachers real-time instructional data and grading support. Coursemojo supports more than 75 districts and CMOs nationwide and has earned ESSA Tier 2 evidence recognition for demonstrated impact on student literacy outcomes.

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SOURCE Coursemojo