Beating the Odds: Boot Camp Drives STAAR Algebra I Gains at Red Oak High School

Among STAAR re-testers at the Texas school, 22% reached Meets or Masters in 2025, an increase from 4% the previous year.

At Red Oak High School, a large campus of more than 2,300 students just outside Dallas, leaders faced a challenge: too many students were not passing the STAAR Algebra I assessment, and even fewer reached the Meets or Masters performance levels, which indicate true grade-level readiness and advanced mastery.

As STAAR testing approached in December 2025, school leaders asked: What will actually move the needle for our re-testers?

Red Oak decided to implement MasteryPrep Boot Camps for STAAR Algebra I during the school day, building on the school’s long-standing partnership with both MasteryPrep and Sirius Education Solutions. After these high-impact sessions, the combined percentage of STAAR re-testers (Grades 9-12) who reached Meets and Masters rose more than fivefold, from a combined 4% in 2024 to 22% in 2025.

“We planned specifically for re-testers, kids who had attempted STAAR Algebra I and had not been successful,” says Julie Wuerch, Associate Principal at Red Oak High School. “Then after the Boot Camp, to have those re-testers turn around and earn Masters…It was just unheard of before now.”

STAAR Re-Testers (Grades 9-12) Who Reached Meets and Masters

2024

2025

For several years, Red Oak High School has integrated MasteryPrep and Sirius online resources into a daily 30-minute “Talon Time” block to support remediation and targeted practice. Students worked on skills using the MasteryPrep and Sirius platforms, and teachers could track progress, assign additional content, and intervene as needed.

Despite these ongoing interventions, STAAR Algebra I remained an area of improvement.

In the 2025-2026 school year, Red Oak school leaders believed that a short, high-intensity Boot Camp session for re-testers in Grades 10-12, delivered close to the assessment, could reinforce key standards, sharpen test strategies, and rebuild student confidence more effectively than other traditional approaches.

Red Oak held the STAAR Algebra I Boot Camp following Thanksgiving break, the day before STAAR testing. While unconventional, this close timing ensured instruction remained fresh and directly aligned with the test. Approximately 70 students, a majority of whom were re-testers, chose to attend each Boot Camp, divided into morning and afternoon sessions in the school’s lecture hall, with studio-style seating and a large active screen.

Red Oak customized its Boot Camp with a unique structure. Four Red Oak Algebra I teachers were present alongside MasteryPrep Boot Camp presenter Ebony Palmer, providing in-the-moment support as students worked through problems. The instruction blended whole-group teaching with targeted support. Algebra I teachers remained available on-site to clarify misconceptions and model problem-solving strategies in real time.

“We kind of hit magic with that [combination],” Wuerch says. “You had the energy from the MasteryPrep presenter paired with our teachers’ expertise.”

Key focus areas of the Boot Camp included:

High-priority Algebra I standards likely to appear on STAAR
Common question types and efficient solving strategies
Reducing test anxiety by demonstrating that success was attainable

“Our students really liked it when the presenter explained that the test was doable,” Wuerch says. “She really had a mini pep rally with them before the Boot Camp started. By the end of the session, the test felt achievable for them.”

Students were so engaged in the Boot Camp that about a dozen returned voluntarily for the afternoon session, a rare sign of confidence for re-testers who had previously not passed the exam, according to Wuerch.

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For Red Oak, the impact of the Boot Camp was significant. Following the December 2025 STAAR Algebra I assessment, results among STAAR re-testers showed notable improvement in the overall passing rates, especially at the Meets and Masters levels:

Scores Among STAAR Re-Testers in December 2024

Did Not Meet	Approaches (Passing)	Meets	Masters
61%	35%	2%	2%

= 39% passing across the line

Scores Among STAAR Re-Testers in December 2025 (After Boot Camp)

Did Not Meet	Approaches (Passing)	Meets	Masters
53%	25%	7%	15%

= 47% passing across the line

“The outcome was the best we’ve had in years for our Algebra I students, maybe the best ever on Masters for our re-testing group,” Wuerch says.

Notably, most students who achieved Masters had previously attempted the STAAR multiple times without success, highlighting the Boot Camp’s ability to accelerate learning for students who had historically not seen growth, leaving them with improved skills and renewed confidence.

Hosting the Boot Camp during school hours allowed Red Oak High School to maximize impact while minimizing disruption to students’ and teachers’ schedules. By integrating the session into a standard day instead of after-hours or on the weekend, the school avoided the challenges of attendance barriers and additional staffing logistics. “We saw better results without asking teachers or students to give up their weekends,” Wuerch says.

The school leveraged its instructional coaches to handle marketing, attendance tracking, and parent communication. Invitations were emailed, reminders were issued, and coaches followed up to ensure students arrived. Teachers and staff coordinated logistics, provided snacks, and created a welcoming environment, further reinforcing student engagement.

By building on skills students were already practicing in Talent Time, the Boot Camp emphasized application and confidence-building, making the most of both instructional time and staff expertise.

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Boot Camps are built around an engagement model that turns a single day into meaningful gains in skill development and test-day readiness.

Red Oak High School demonstrates that targeted, well-timed interventions can drive measurable gains, especially at the top performance levels. The combination of dynamic instruction and teacher support created an environment in which students could thrive and has fostered a shift in school culture. Students now believe they can succeed on STAAR, and teachers realize the effectiveness of high-impact intervention.

Encouraged by their Boot Camp results for STAAR Algebra I, Red Oak has since scheduled Boot Camps for the SAT, TSIA2, and STAAR English II, and leaders are also exploring expanding Boot Camps to junior high campuses.

"The outcome was the best we've had in years for our Algebra I students, maybe the best ever on Masters for our re-testing group."

Julie Wuerch
Associate Principal, Red Oak High School

Would Wuerch recommend MasteryPrep to other schools and districts? “All day, every day,” she says enthusiastically.

For Texas schools aiming to strengthen STAAR outcomes, Red Oak’s success shows that with intentional planning, collaboration, and motivational instruction, schools can move students toward true mastery—and transform student outcomes.

Unpaid testimonial. Individual results may vary, and testimonials are not claimed to represent typical results. The STAAR results reported are courtesy of Red Oak High School. All testimonials are real participants, and may not reflect the typical user’s experience, and are not intended to represent or guarantee that anyone will achieve the same or similar results.

About the Author: Onalee Smith

Onalee Smith is a content marketer and writer with over 15 years of experience helping brands tell better stories. She specializes in editorial strategy and SEO-driven content that connects with audiences and drives measurable results. Her work spans industries including education, publishing, and professional services. Onalee began her career marketing children’s and young adult literature, collaborating with bestselling authors and national literacy programs. Today, she partners with mission-driven organizations to craft content that informs and inspires. She holds degrees in Editing, Writing, and Media Studies, as well as International Affairs, from Florida State University. Based in Asheville, North Carolina, she enjoys hiking, spending time with her pets, and pursuing her hobby of floral design.