The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or more commonly referred to as STAAR test preliminary scores have been released, and while the Center ISD had overall areas of positive improvement compared to last year's scores, there's some subjects, especially in the jr. high that showed substantial drops from the 2012-1013 results. Superintendent Dr. James Hockenberry says the Center ISD is trying to down-play some of the STAAR testing to help alleviate some of the pressure.

Center Intermediate School, 4th & 5th grade scores in Reading, Math, Writing and Science were all pretty well ahead of last year's testing. Fifth grade math was up 31 percent to an 87 percent passing rate, and 20 percent in reading, while 4th grade writing was 23 percent better than the year before.

On the other hand, Center Middle School showed some sub-par results, primarily in seventh-grade math, as scores were 20 percent below the 2012-13 levels at 54 percent passing; and eighth-grade social studies were 23 percent behind at 43 percent passing.

When it came to high school, Algebra I, Biology, English I and especially U.S. History all performed better this time around, as U.S. History was at a 96 percent passing rate and Biology at 95 percent.

Hockenberry said the official STAAR test results will be made available next month, and after an appeal period, they'll be made official sometime in the fall.