 | This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: the article needs info relating to the new digital STAARs that have been standard since the 2021-2022 school year.. (May 2023) |
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| Acronym | STAAR |
|---|---|
| Skills tested | Reading, Writing (integrated to RLA tests)[1] Math, Science, and Social Studies |
| Year started | 2011 |
| Offered | Once a year, for students in grades 3 - 8, and 3 times per school year for high school |
| Regions | State of Texas |
| Languages | English and Spanish (Spanish only available for grades 3 - 5) |
The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, commonly referred to as its acronym STAAR (/stɑːr/ STAR), is a series of standardized tests used in Texas public primary and secondary schools to assess a student's achievements and knowledge learned in the grade level. It tests curriculum taught from the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, which in turn is taught by public schools. The test used to be developed by Pearson Education every school year, although the most recent contract gave Educational Testing Service a role in creating some of the tests,[2] under the close supervision of the Texas Education Agency.
The test was announced because the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (commonly referred to its acronym TAKS) assessment was repealed by Texas Senate Bill 1031 in spring 2007. The bill called for secondary schools (for grades 9-11) to take end-of-course assessments every time a student was at the end of taking a course, instead of taking general "core subject" tests. STAAR replaced the TAKS in the spring of 2012, although students who entered 10th grade before the 2011–2012 school year continued to take the TAKS.[3] This process is part of the TAKS to STAAR transition plan. In 2015 the last students had taken the TAKS test, so the first students will graduate with a completed STAAR end of course assessments. However, many policies from the TAKS are still withheld in the STAAR's policies for practical purposes.
Schools that receive funds from the state of Texas are required to enforce these tests among students who attend the schools. Any private school, charter school, or homeschooling that does not receive monetary support from Texas is not required to take the STAAR test, and as of May 2012 can only take the TAKS test by ordering from Pearson Education (not to be confused with Pearson PLC)
On March 16, 2020, Governor Greg Abbott waived the STAAR for the 2019–2020 school year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]
On June 14, 2019 House Bill HB3906 was passed by Governor Greg Abbott for the redesign of the STAAR test and a transition from paper to digital testing. (Later introduced in the 2022-2023 school year)[5]
- ^ Guzman, Andy. "Reading Language Arts STAAR Sample Items". Welcome to Texas Education Agency. Texas Education Agency. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- ^ Weiss, Jeffrey (May 2015). "Pearson loses most of contract for next four years of STAAR tests". Dallas News. The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on October 9, 2016. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
After a delay of about two months past the initial timeline, the Texas Education Agency has announced its "notice of intent" for who gets the contracts for the next four years of STAAR and End of Course exams. The big winner was Education Testing Services, aka ETS.
- ^ "STAAR Resources". Texas Education Agency. (The structure of testing/scoring has been revised. This brochure's information is no longer valid.)
- ^ "Governor Abbott Waives STAAR Testing Requirements". March 16, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
- ^ Agency, Texas Education (January 8, 2024). "STAAR Redesign". tea.texas.gov. Retrieved April 22, 2024.