General Information
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will introduce a new student testing system in the 2011-2012 school year called the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) – pronounced “star.” This new test for all students in grades 3-11 will replace the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and skills (TAKS).
What’s different about STAAR?
The STAAR tests will be more rigorous than the TAKS tests and are designed to measure a student’s college and career readiness, starting in elementary school. These readiness standards will be defined by those TEKS considered critical for success in the current grade/course and important for preparedness in following grades/courses, and ultimately for college and career. The majority of the test (60-65 percent) will concentrate on these readiness standards, but STAAR will also assess other TEKS for the current grade/course -- known as supporting standards. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) provides more information about the assessed curriculum for each STAAR test at www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/.
The most significant difference between the TAKS and STAAR testing systems will be seen at the high school level. Under the TAKS system, high school students have to pass only four exit-level tests to graduate, which do not count toward their course grades. Under STAAR, first time high school freshmen in 2011-2012 will be required to take 12 end-of-course (EOC) assessments in the core content areas – math, science, English and social studies.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is still developing several aspects of the STAAR testing system. This information guide will be updated as new information becomes available, and TEA will post additional resources to its website as they are finalized.
RESOURCES
History of the Texas Testing Program TEA Frequently Asked Questions
Midway STAAR Calendar Resources for Parents/Teachers
