State
BY HANNAH NORTON
I TALY TRIP to
Texas to phase out STAAR, launch 3 new exams in 2027
Beginning in fall 2027, third- through 12th-grade students will take three shorter exams in lieu of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. The changes come after state lawmakers passed House Bill 8, a law phasing out the STAAR, in September. The overview Bill author Rep. Brad Buckley, R Salado, said in September that the new law will reduce test-re- lated anxiety and help educators track student growth throughout the year. Critics of the plan, includ- ing most Democratic lawmakers and a few Republicans, said they were concerned it would increase the amount of time students spend taking exams and result in “another STAAR test.” In the 2027-28 school year, school districts will be required to administer a beginning-of-year assessment in late August or September, a mid-year assessment in January or February, and an end- of-year assessment in May. What to expect The Texas Education Agency will develop the three new exams. Lawmakers said educators will be allowed to continue administering
third-party assessments in the beginning and middle of each year with TEA approval. All districts will be required to implement the state-developed end-of-year exam to measure year-over-year growth. Students’ scores will be released within 48 hours after each new test is administered. Currently, most students take the STAAR in April and receive their results in June, per the TEA. Questions from the new state- owned exams will be reviewed by Texas teachers and piloted in schools ahead of the 2027-28 school year. The TEA is required to release a plan for the rollout of the new exams by February 2027, which Buckley said will allow lawmakers to provide feedback and make adjustments to the testing system before it takes e ect later that year. HB 8 also requires that: • Schools stop administering practice tests • High schoolers no longer need to pass the English II test • Scores on all three tests count toward A F accountability ratings • The TEA must nalize account- ability system changes by July 15 annually
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“[HB 8] reforms our Texas assessment program ... creating greater transparency, oversight and, ultimately, predictability.” REP. BRAD BUCKLEY, R SALADO
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