Lessons learned from the 2026 3rd Grade Math STAAR
Using a modified version of the statewide item analysis report, I examined the readiness standards that had less than 60% mastery. Each standard has both an analysis of the items themselves to infer what made them so difficult and instructional implications for educators to ensure a more successful 2026 STAAR test.
Standard | # of items | % mastery |
3.4K | 1 | 20 |
3.7B | 2 | 25.5 |
3.5B | 1 | 29 |
3.3F | 1 | 36 |
3.5E | 2 | 45 |
3.6A | 2 | 47 |
3.2A | 1 | 52 |
Access the slide deck here.
3.4K - 28% overall mastery
solve one-step and two-step problems involving multiplication and division within 100 using strategies based on objects; pictorial models, including arrays, area models, and equal groups; properties of operations; or recall of facts
#26 - 20% correct
Analysis
Equation editor removes the surety of multiple choice
Students had to divide twice
The wording was cumbersome to move from step 1 to step 2
Instructional Implications
Draw strip diagrams and write equations for each step
Substitute the answer into the representations to check your work
3.7B - 25.5% overall mastery
determine the perimeter of a polygon or a missing length when given perimeter and remaining side lengths in problems
#10 - 20% correct
#21 - 31% correct
Analysis
Instructional Implications
Draw a picture to conceptualize perimeter
Use a strip diagram with four parts to one whole to solve
Remind students that finding a missing side length requires a multi-step solution
Watch the full walkthrough of all 30 items on the 2026 3rd Grade STAAR below.
3.5B - 38% overall mastery
represent and solve one- and two-step multiplication and division problems within 100 using arrays, strip diagrams, and equations
#8 - 29% correct
Analysis
Students had to multiply twice
When students multiply 2 x 15, the product (30) could easily be divided by 3
The correct answer wasn’t asked for, just the equation
Instructional Implications
Draw a strip diagram and/or a picture to represent the scenario
Check the answer from your picture against the equation (2 x 15 x 3)
3.3F - 36% overall mastery
represent equivalent fractions with denominators of 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 using a variety of objects and pictorial models, including number lines
#20 - 36% correct
Analysis
This was a previously unseen item type
Students had to generate the equivalent fraction first (without a visual) to accurately represent it
Two steps are required to select the correct answer
Select the correct number of partitions (denominator)
Select the correct number of shaded parts (numerator)
Instructional Implications
Show students how to generate equivalent fractions by cutting in half
Show students how to generate equivalent fractions by grouping in pairs
If possible, practice with this item type
3.5E - 45% overall mastery
represent real-world relationships using number pairs in a table and verbal descriptions
#14 - 57% correct
#22 - 33% correct
Analysis
Instructional Implications
Spend more time on describing verbal descriptions than finding the rules in a table
Once the rule is found, apply it to each number pair to check for accuracy
3.6A - 47% overall mastery
classify and sort two- and three-dimensional figures, including cones, cylinders, spheres, triangular and rectangular prisms, and cubes, based on attributes using formal geometric language
#4 - 17% full credit, 44% partial credit, 38% no credit
#23 - 55% correct
Analysis
Neither problem included visuals
Both problems included a pyramid (not included, but also not excluded, in the TEKS)
For #23, 28% chose A (would be correct for a rectangular pyramid)
Instructional Implications
Help students learn to sketch visuals of 3D shapes
Discuss the similarities and differences between bases and faces
Work with a table to sort by two properties at a time
3.2A - 52% overall mastery
compose and decompose numbers up to 100,000 as a sum of so many ten thousands, so many thousands, so many hundreds, so many tens, and so many ones using objects, pictorial models, and numbers, including expanded notation as appropriate
#25 - 52% correct
Analysis
Students might not be as familiar with unit form
Both B and D required renaming 40 tens as 4 hundreds
25% chose B (misunderstood 4 in the ten thousands)
Instructional Implications
Use a place value chart
Practice renaming more than 10 of the same unit, including when there are already some of those units (e.g., 4 hundreds 15 tens as 550)
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