CEDAR PARK, Texas — A fourth-grader at Harmony Science Academy-Cedar Park recently achieved an incredible math feat.
Nine-year-old Darsh Singh scored a perfect 100% on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) math exam. The news came as a surprise to Darsh’s teacher, Joy Anderson, who was out of the country when she received the call informing her of her student’s exceptional performance.
“When I scored 100% in math, I was really happy. I was proud to have scored so high on my STAAR test and now I also feel more confident about future challenges,” said Darsh.
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Darsh’s performance stands in stark contrast to the general trends observed by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). On June 14, 2024, the agency reported a decline in general math proficiency on the STAAR tests, which it attributes to learning disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The minimum passing score on the math portion of the STAAR test is between 25% and 35%.
Darsh’s fourth-grade teacher described the young student as someone who “loves solving problems on the board” and is always willing to help his classmates who are struggling with math concepts.
“I love math! The numbers are useful in real life, so of course I want to be good at it,” Darsh explained. “My teacher, Mrs. Joy, helped me a lot in learning and applying the knowledge I have acquired over the years. I am thrilled that I got full marks.”
