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State Testing (STAAR) Recommendations:
*  The tests costs millions of dollars. The state should figure out ways to cut the cost and give this money to teachers and schools to help support them rather than judge them.
*  The tests could be given in three parts so students can periodically show what they've learned throughout the year, and show how they've grown instead of just being measured on one day.
*  The test should be designed and created by educators.
*  The test should be graded by educators.
*  The school district's report cards should not be solely based on the STAAR tests results. Districts could provide data from unit tests, student's grade averages, TTESS data of their teachers, community polls about school culture, and so much more to create a better report of school districts  instead of being measured from one test on one day.
*  The STAAR Reading Language Arts answer choices always have two good answers, but the better answer is the correct choice. This causes confusion and self doubt with our students when trying to select a great answer. The idea of writing answer choices like this needs to be eliminated.
*  The academic vocabulary that is used for all STAAR tests questions is too rigorous and causes confusion within the questions.
*  If the STAAR test is going to stay, I strongly suggest that teachers and administration stop talking about it all the time in their classrooms. Students have anxiety from hearing about "THE Test" all year long from their teachers.
*  Teachers are not even allowed to see the test questions and the percentages of answers, so how can they possibly know what they need to work on or teach better the following year? Teachers should be given their student's tests answers. Teachers need to understand the test and how their student's answer in order to improve and make adjustments to their teaching the next year.

Texas AFT. (2023, January 5). What you need to know about STAAR & Standardized Testing - Texas AFT. https://www.texasaft.org/campaigns/respect/our-issues/standardized-testing/

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This website is amazing for all teachers who administer the STAAR test for Reading Language Arts (RLA). Tosh McGaughy shares so many resources to help teachers understand, construct responses, grade responses, and explore all there is to know about the STAAR (RLA) redesign. She gives teachers free planning guides, free writing rubrics, and shares all the links that teachers might need in order to learn more about the tests as well as see writing samples (TEA, Texas Assessment.gov, lead4ward...). If you teach RLA grades 3rd-8th, you should use and bookmark this website.

Tosh Shares - STAAR redesign. (n.d.). https://sites.google.com/view/toshshares/staar-redesign?authuser=0

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Texas Administrative Code Title 19, Part 7, Chapter 247, Rule §247.2

As Texas Teachers, we must adhere to the ethical principles of education.  This ethical principal states that we must obey the law when it comes to state assessments and regulations. Some legal issues and dilemmas that come with this principle include:

*  Cheating on assessments or allowing students to
cheat on the assessments
*  Submitting your work in place of the students
*  Falsifying records, documents, and/or scores
*  Sharing answers or work with other students and/or
colleagues

Ethics and Academic Integrity - Texas Teachers of Tomorrow. (n.d.). Texas Teachers. https://www.teachersoftomorrow.org/texas/ethics-integrity/

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The Texas Administrative Code Title 19, Part 7, Chapter 247, Rule §247.2 defines the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for all educators in the state of Texas:
(a) Statement of Purpose. The Texas educator shall comply with standard practices and ethical conduct toward students, professional colleagues, school officials, parents, and members of the community and shall safeguard academic freedom. The Texas educator, in maintaining the dignity of the profession, shall respect and obey the law, demonstrate personal integrity, and exemplify honesty. The Texas educator, in exemplifying ethical relations with colleagues, shall extend just and equitable treatment to all members of the profession. The Texas educator, in accepting a position of public trust, shall measure success by the progress of each student toward realization of his or her potential as an effective citizen. The Texas educator, in fulfilling responsibilities in the community, shall cooperate with parents and others to improve the public schools of the community.
(b) Enforceable Standards. (1) Professional Ethical Conduct, Practices and Performance.
(A) Standard 1.1. The educator shall not knowingly engage in deceptive practices regarding official policies of the school district or educational institution.

(B) Standard 1.2. The educator shall not knowingly misappropriate, divert, or use monies, personnel, property, or equipment committed to his or her charge for personal gain or advantage.

(C) Standard 1.3. The educator shall not submit fraudulent requests for reimbursement, expenses, or pay.

(D) Standard 1.4. The educator shall not use institutional or professional privileges for personal or partisan advantage.

(E) Standard 1.5. The educator shall neither accept nor offer gratuities, gifts, or favors that impair professional judgment or to obtain special advantage. This standard shall not restrict the acceptance of gifts or tokens offered and accepted openly from students, parents, or other persons or organizations in recognition or appreciation of service.

(F) Standard 1.6. The educator shall not falsify records, or direct or coerce others to do so.

(G) Standard 1.7. The educator shall comply with state regulations, written local school board policies, and other applicable state and federal laws.

(H) Standard 1.8. The educator shall apply for, accept, offer, or assign a position or a responsibility on the basis of professional qualifications.
(2) Ethical Conduct Toward Professional Colleagues.
(A) Standard 2.1. The educator shall not reveal confidential health or personnel information concerning colleagues unless disclosure serves lawful professional purposes or is required by law.

(B) Standard 2.2. The educator shall not harm others by knowingly making false statements about a colleague or the school system.

(C) Standard 2.3. The educator shall adhere to written local school board policies and state and federal laws regarding the hiring, evaluation, and dismissal of personnel.

(D) Standard 2.4. The educator shall not interfere with a colleague's exercise of political, professional, or citizenship rights and responsibilities.

(E) Standard 2.5. The educator shall not discriminate against or coerce a colleague on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, disability, or family status.

(F) Standard 2.6. The educator shall not use coercive means or promise of special treatment in order to influence professional decisions or colleagues.

(G) Standard 2.7. The educator shall not retaliate against any individual who has filed a complaint with the SBEC under this chapter.
(3) Ethical Conduct Toward Students.
(A) Standard 3.1. The educator shall not reveal confidential information concerning students unless disclosure serves lawful professional purposes or is required by law.

(B) Standard 3.2. The educator shall not knowingly treat a student in a manner that adversely affects the student's learning, physical health, mental health, or safety.

(C) Standard 3.3. The educator shall not deliberately or knowingly misrepresent facts regarding a student.

(D) Standard 3.4. The educator shall not exclude a student from participation in a program, deny benefits to a student, or grant an advantage to a student on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, national origin, religion, or family status.

(E) Standard 3.5. The educator shall not engage in physical mistreatment of a student.

(F) Standard 3.6. The educator shall not solicit or engage in sexual conduct or a romantic relationship with a student.

(G) Standard 3.7. The educator shall not furnish alcohol or illegal/unauthorized drugs to any student or knowingly allow any student to consume alcohol or illegal/unauthorized drugs in the presence of the educator.

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Ethics and Academic Integrity - Texas Teachers of Tomorrow

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Academic integrity and compliance with the company's Ethics is a fundamental measure of your commitment to us, your community, and to your profession.

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District Policy - CSMS Handbook

Standardized Testing (Secondary Grade Levels)

STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness)

Grades 3–8

In addition to routine tests and other measures of achievement, students at certain grade levels are required to take the state

assessment, called STAAR, in the following subjects:

● Mathematics, annually in grades 3–8

● Reading, annually in grades 3–8 80

● Writing, including spelling and grammar, in grades 4 and 7

● Science in grades 5 and 8

● Social Studies in grade 8

Successful performance on the reading and math assessments in grades 5 and 8 is required by law for the student to be promoted to the next grade level, unless the student is enrolled in a reading or math course intended for students above the student’s current grade level. Exceptions may apply for students enrolled in a special education program if the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee concludes the student has made sufficient progress in the student’s individualized education plan (IEP).

Our policy is almost the exact same wording as TEA. This policy is important to inform parents of not only the district’s policy, but that it aligns with state regulations as well. It is short, sweet and to the point and does not lead to any conflict or discussion of testing. This policy is important in my career path because it will be the foundation of STAAR testing on my campus as the instructional coach and testing coordinator (CSMS p. 80).

China Spring Middle School. (2022-2023). CSMS Student-Parent Handbook. p. 80. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3476/csisd/2660615/CSMSStudentHandbook2022-2023_2.pdf

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RULE §101.3031 | Required Test Administration Procedures and Training Activities to Ensure Validity, Reliability, and Security of Assessments

This law is critical to know and understand in the testing world. It states very specific expectations and procedures of state testing. As an instructional coach and STAAR testing coordinator, it is important to know what violations can be made and how to approach violations if and when they occur. This law explicitly states every violation that can be made and how to handle it. It also lists the responsibilities of all testing personnel and trainings that are required to be to be a test administrator.

Tex. Admin. Code. (May 2019). TAC §101.3031. https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/public/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=19&pt=2&ch=101&rl=3031

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(a) Security and confidentiality. (1) All assessment instruments included in the student assessment program are considered secure, and the contents of these tests, including student information used or obtained in their administration, are confidential. (2) School districts and campuses, the superintendent and campus principals in each school district, open-enrollment charter schools and campuses, and the chief administrative officer and campus principals of each charter school shall: (A) implement and ensure compliance with state test administration procedures and training activities; (B) notify the Texas Education Agency (TEA) as soon as the school district or charter school becomes aware of any alleged or suspected violation of the security or confidential integrity of a test as listed in paragraph (3) of this subsection; (C) report all confirmed testing violations to TEA within 10 working days of the school district or charter school becoming aware of the violation in accordance with the reporting process stipulated in the test administration materials; (D) ensure that the only individuals with access to secure test materials are school district or charter school employees who have: (i) met the requirements to participate in the student assessment program; (ii) received training in test security and test administration procedures; and (iii) signed an oath affirming they understand their obligation to maintain and preserve the security and confidentiality of all state assessments and student information, acknowledge their responsibility to report any suspected testing violation, and are aware of the range of penalties that may result from a violation of test security and confidentiality or a departure from test administration procedures; and (E) ensure the security of the test materials by: (i) verifying that all boxes of testing materials have been accounted for and match the school district or charter school shipping notices upon receipt from the state's testing contractor(s); (ii) requiring campuses to immediately inventory all testing materials received and to notify the school district or charter school testing coordinator of any shortages or discrepancies; (iii) immediately notifying the state's testing contractor(s) of any discrepancies between the materials received and the school district, charter school, and campus shipping notices; (iv) placing test booklets and answer documents in secure, limited-access, locked storage when not in use; (v) collecting and destroying any scratch paper, graph paper, or reference materials that students have written on, as well as any recordings, after the completion of a test administration; (vi) requiring that all secure materials assigned to individual campuses have been accounted for and packaged in accordance with the procedures for returning materials as detailed in the test administration materials; (vii) requiring that all test item image cards and photocopies or reproductions of secure test materials have been collected and returned to the school district or charter school testing coordinator for return to the testing contractor(s); and (viii) maintaining inventory and shipping records for five years. (3) Violations of the security and confidential integrity of a test include: (A) directly or indirectly assisting students with responses to test questions; (B) tampering with student responses; (C) falsifying holistic ratings or student responses; (D) viewing secure test content before, during, or after an administration unless specifically authorized by TEA or by the procedures outlined in the test administration materials; (E) discussing or disclosing secure test content or student responses; (F) scoring students' tests, either formally or informally; (G) duplicating, recording, or electronically capturing confidential test content unless specifically authorized by TEA or by the procedures outlined in the test administration materials; (H) responding to secure test questions; (I) fraudulently exempting or preventing a student from participating in the administration of a required state assessment; (J) receiving or providing unallowable assistance during calibration activities (e.g., taking notes, providing answer sheets, or sharing answers); (K) encouraging or assisting an individual to engage in the conduct described in subparagraphs (A)-(J) of this paragraph or in any other serious violation of security and confidentiality; (L) failing to report to an appropriate authority that an individual has engaged or is suspected of engaging in conduct described in subparagraphs (A)-(K) of this paragraph or in any other serious violation of security and confidentiality under this section; (M) failing to implement sufficient procedures to prevent student cheating; and (N) failing to implement sufficient procedures to prevent alteration of test documents by anyone other than the student. (4) If a school district or charter school determines that a student has cheated or attempted to cheat on a state assessment either by providing or receiving direct assistance, the school district or charter school shall invalidate the student's test results. (5) Any violation of test security or confidential integrity may result in the TEA: (A) invalidating student test results; (B) referring certified educators to the State Board for Educator Certification for sanctions in accordance with Chapter 247 of this title (relating to Educators' Code of Ethics) and Chapter 249 of this title (relating to Disciplinary Proceedings, Sanctions, and Contested Cases); and (C) lowering the school district's or charter school's accreditation status or a school district's, charter school's, or campus's accountability rating in accordance with Texas Education Code (TEC), §39.003(d), or appointment of a monitor, conservator, or management team to the school district or charter school in accordance with TEC, Chapter 39A. (b) Test administration procedures. Test administration procedures shall be delineated in the test administration materials provided to school districts and charter schools annually. Districts and charter schools must comply with all of the applicable requirements specified in the test administration materials. Test administration materials shall include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) general testing program information; (2) procedures for maintaining the security and confidentiality of state assessments; (3) procedures for test administration; (4) responsibilities of personnel involved in test administration; and (5) procedures for materials control. (c) Training activities. School districts and charter schools shall ensure that test coordinators and administrators receive training to ensure that testing personnel have the necessary skills and knowledge required to administer assessment instruments in a valid, standardized, and secure manner. (d) Records retention. As part of test administration procedures, the commissioner shall require school districts and charter schools to maintain records related to the security of assessment instruments for five years. (e) Applicability. The required test administration procedures and training activities established annually in the test administration manuals and test security supplements for prior years remain in effect for all purposes with respect to the prior year to which they apply.

Source Note: The provisions of this §101.3031 adopted to be effective March 26, 2012, 37 TexReg 2083; amended to be effective March 27, 2013, 38 TexReg 1974; amended to be effective March 30, 2014, 39 TexReg 2287; amended to be effective February 16, 2015, 40 TexReg 702; amended to be effective March 15, 2016, 41 TexReg 1835; amended to be effective March 19, 2017, 42 TexReg 1121; amended to be effective January 31, 2018, 43 TexReg460;amended to be effective April 23, 2019, 44 TexReg 1985; amended to be effective January 11, 2022, 47 TxReg 27

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(a) Security and confidentiality. (1) All assessment instruments included in the student assessment program are considered secure, and the contents of these tests, including student information used or obtained in their administration, are confidential.

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Texas Education Code chapter 39 and 19 Texas Administrative Code chapter 101

This article supports the judicial system by interpreting what the statutory law represents. There is a lot of conflict with the statutory law that standardized testing is a requirement in the state of Texas. The main conflict with this law is that parents believe they are allowed to easily opt their child out of standardized testing when in fact, it is not that simple and also not legal in the state of Texas. The Texas Educators of School Boards (TASB) identifies the conflicts with these testing requirements and reiterates the importance of following the law. It also informs parents of the consequences of not testing and giving them alternate routes for their child’s education if they choose to refuse testing.

Texas Association of School Boards. (February 2022). Opting out of Standardized Tests. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.tasb.org/services/legal-services/tasb-school-law-esource/instruction/documents/opt_out_standardized_tests.pdf

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"Our mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access" (Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) | U.S. Department of Education, n.d.). The new ESSA Act was put in place to help students be given credit to show growth on standardized tests: "ensures that vital information is provided to educators, families, students, and communities through annual statewide assessments that measure students' progress toward those high standards" (Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) | U.S. Department of Education, n.d.).

This law is important because it informs the reader of what grades and subjects have required testing in the state of Texas. The law also states what percentage of students should pass, the tools they will be allowed to use during testing, and the amount of time allotted for successful completion of each tests. The law has been updated to put an emphasis on student growth between assessments as well which has not been measured in years past.

Texas Education Agency. (March, 2022). STAAR Required Tests.  https://tea.texas.gov/state-and-federal-required-tests-march-2022

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Article 7. Education. Section 1. "Support and Maintenance of System of Public Free Schools. A general diffusion of knowledge being essential to the preservation of the liberties and rights of the people. It shall be the duty of the legislature of the State to establish and make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of an efficient systems of public free schools (Tex. Const. art. 7, § 1)."

This law is important to the entire system of education. Many times parents will complain about state testing and try to tear down the free public education system that is in place for them. This law was put in place to support the education system. It was also put in place because it puts such a crucial emphasis on the importance of knowledge and being educated. This law is a reminder for Americans that our country is blessed to offer free education whether or not everyone agrees with how the system is ran.

Texas Constitution. Article 7. § 1.

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This article offers encouragement and positivity towards the STAAR Tests in Texas. It acknowledges the hard work of teachers and their students as they worked hard to make progress on their performance levels after COVID-19. The article states the percentage increase in all tests from 3rd-8th grade in math and reading from the year 2019 to 2022.
*  There was a 5% increase in math scores for all grades 3rd-8th.
*  There was a 9% increase in reading scores for all grades 3rd-8th.
*  There was a 98% participant rate.
*  Low economic students scored 11% lower than the year 2019 in math, but increased by 5% in reading.
*  The teachers and students worked hard all year to help this progress happen as well as house bill 4545 that required 30 hours of intervention for students who failed a test.
*  The key to success is teachers spending more time with students and students spending more time at school rather than at home working alone online.

Lopez, B. (2022, July 1). Texas STAAR results improve in math, reading. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2022/07/01/texas-staar-results/

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Texas students' standardized test scores in reading and math moved closer to pre-pandemic levels after falling to levels not seen in a decade the year before, according to results released Friday by the Texas Education Agency.

Each spring, Texas students take the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness or STAAR test. In math, 40% of all students in grades 3-8 met grade level or above this year, a 5-percentage-point increase from the previous year. In reading, 52% of all students met grade level or above, representing a 9-percentage point increase from the previous year.

"This gives you a picture of what has happened statewide with regard to student proficiency and it is largely a story of recovery. It is a story of hope," Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said. "It is evidence that we have extraordinary people working in public schools in Texas."

Brian Woods, superintendent of the Northside Independent School District in San Antonio, credits students' return to their physical classrooms and the work teachers have put in this past year despite disruptions caused by the spread of COVID-19, for the rise in scores.

"Let's give the credit where credit's due," Woods said.

Friday's announcement comes two weeks after the release of results for high school students, who showed slight improvement.

The STAAR had a 98% participation rate this year among all students. Last school year, STAAR exams were optional for students, and districts weren't rated based on the results. This year though, the scores will count and school districts will be graded according to the results. Accountability results for school districts are scheduled to come out in August.

School administrators feared scores wouldn't see much improvement this past school year because of school disruptions caused by surges delta and omicron surges. Already understaffed school districts had teachers and substitutes out with COVID, prompting many districts to ask parents to fill in.

While the 2021-22 scores showed improvements in math for third- through eighth-graders current math levels remain 10 percentage points under the 2019 math levels. Texas had been making successful strides in math scores since 2012, when only 34% of students met grade level or above.

It was different with reading, as this school year's results surpassed those seen in 2019 and in the last decade.

By race, Hispanics, who make up more than half of Texas' 5.4 million public school students, saw gains as well, as 44% met grade level or above in reading, an 9-percentage-point increase from the previous school year and a 4-percentage-point increase from 2019. In math, 34% met grade level or above, an 8-percentage-point increase, but still 11 percentage points off their 2019 level.

Among Black students, 25% met grade level or above in math, a 5-percentage point increase from the previous year. In the same subject in 2019, 34% met or exceeded their grade level. In reading, 40% of students met grade level or above, an 8-percentage-point increase and 5-percentage-point increase from 2019. Black students represent about 13% of all Texas public school students.

English language learners and special education and economically disadvantaged students also improved their scores in reading and math.

In math, 30% of all economically disadvantaged students met grade level or above, a 7-percentage point increase from the previous year. But, this is still a 11-percentage point decrease from their 2019 scores, right before the pandemic hit.

In reading, 41% of all economically disadvantaged students met grade level or above, a 10-percentage-point increase from the year before and a 5-percentage-point increase from 2019.

While there were gains for these students, a significant gap still exists between them and non-economically disadvantaged students. In math, 55% of students who aren't economically disadvantaged met grade level or above. In reading, 67% met grade level or above.

Among English language learners, 29% met grade level or above in math, a 9-percentage-point increase from the year before. In reading, 31% met grade level or above in reading, an 11-percentage point-increase.

For special education students, 13% met grade level or above in math, a 1-percentage-point increase from the previous year. In reading, 17% of these students met grade level or above, a 5-percentage-point increase.

Morath said the improved scores were the result of Texas teachers' strong commitment this year and help from the Texas Legislature, specifically, House Bill 4545, which requires schools to offer students 30 hours of targeted instruction based on how many STAAR subjects a student failed. He also credited the state-mandated teacher training called the Reading Academies. Teachers who teach K-3 must complete this training as part of an effort to improve student reading scores.

Historically, Texas hasn't been the best at catching students up after a major school disruption. Students affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 didn't meet state standards in reading until four years after the hurricane hit, and they never got there in math, according to the TEA.

In the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as "The Nation's Report Card," less than one-third of fourth graders in Texas performed at or above proficient level, and only one-quarter of eight graders performed at or above proficient level.

Woods, Northside ISD superintendent, said implementing HB 4545 has been difficult as school districts continue to struggle with staffing shortages. Once school is back with no COVID disruptions, Woods believes there is going to be more rapid improvement.

"Teachers are just simply going to have more time with students," he said. "That's the key."
Join us at The Texas Tribune Festival, happening Sept. 22-24 in downtown Austin, and hear from 300+ speakers shaping the future of Texas including Joe Straus, Jen Psaki, Joaquin Castro, Mayra Flores and many others. See all speakers announced to date and buy tickets.

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Texas STAAR results improve in math and reading after pandemic dips

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There had been fear that after another school year of COVID-19 disruptions, scores would not improve.

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This article is against the STAAR test. It is not against testing itself, but rather that the state is in charge of how students are tested instead of the districts being in charge. The following main points are emphasized in this article:
*  Teachers spend too much time "teaching to the test" and working on testing drills with their students.
*  There are too many tests in grades 3rd - 8th.
*  The consequences for a district scoring poorly on these tests is too high. Schools who perform low must be funded to make improvements and some schools are even forced to shut down.
*  Districts and its teachers should be in charge of how their students are tested, not the state. This would allow students to be tested on actual taught material that is fresh and relatable to what they have been doing all year with their teachers.
*  Teachers and parents have the right to know how well their child performs on these STAAR tests, and yet, the scores are released well after the tests have been completed with very little data on how the student performed. Teachers are not even allowed to see the test questions and the percentages of answers, so how can they possibly know what they need to work on or teach better the following year?

The Truth About Standardized Testing In Texas – Texas Business Leadership Council. (n.d.). https://txblc.org/researchandreports/the-truth-about-standardized-testing-in-texas/

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With the implementation of the new STAAR testing system in Texas, there has been an outcry from some parents, educators, and commentators that the state places too much emphasis on standardized testing. They claim that students and educators spend too much time on state testing, the stakes for the tests are too high, and the local districts-not the state-should have complete control over the ways students are tested and graded. In fact, the Texas Association of School Administrators is asking its member districts to sign a resolution asking the Texas Legislature to roll back key components of the current assessment and accountability systems. This would be a grave error and would be a disservice to our students.

With the passage of SB 1031 in 2007 and HB 3 in 2009, the State of Texas has taken dramatic steps to improve the public education system by adopting a system designed to promote postsecondary readiness for students. SB 1031 introduced the STAAR exams in grades 3-8 and replaced the single high school exit exam with a series of end-of-course (EOC) exams that students will take as they complete core high school courses. Lawmakers believed that instituting EOC exams would be beneficial for several reasons:

1. Students would be assessed on material they covered during the year instead of being assessed on material they covered three years prior;

2. Since students would take individual exams for each subject, the assessments can be more comprehensive and better indicate a student's mastery of the subject matter;

3. Since students would be assessed on "fresh" material that they had recently covered, the need for multiple practice tests or "drill and kill" could be avoided; and

4. Since they will cover core course material and the state's essential knowledge and skills, the assessments could serve as final exams-which would further reduce testing time.

The accountability system was further enhanced with the passage of HB 3 in 2009. Most significantly, this bill establishes postsecondary readiness for each student as the organizing principle of the public education system. Postsecondary readiness means students have the knowledge and skills to successfully complete freshman-level work in college or community college, earn industry certifications or state licenses, qualify for advanced military service, or complete other types on job training to prepare them for the high-performance workplace. To ensure that students are on pace to graduate at this standard, the STAAR and EOC exams, the state academic standards (the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills or TEKS), have been aligned so that educators, students, and parents know if a student is making acceptable progress from grade to grade. Students who are behind can immediately receive the help they need to get back on track and students who meet or exceed expectations will be monitored to ensure that they continue to excel.

So why is there a backlash against this system? Let's look at list of concerns mentioned above and compare them to the facts:

1. Students and educators spend too much time on state testing
The state requires that students in grades 3-8 be tested once a year in selected core courses. Students in grade 3 take two exams, students in grades 4-7 take three exams, and students in grade 8 take four exams. High school students will typically take up to five EOC exams per year. Therefore, the state requires that students take no more than five exams a year. Since each exam is limited to four hours, the state requirements translate into no more than 20 hours of testing a year-which accounts for less than 3 of the 180 instructional days or about 1.4% of the school year.

However, many schools and districts opt to administer other types of benchmark testing. Some districts use high-quality diagnostic tests to help gauge student progress. However, other districts use benchmark tests obtained from the state's Education Service Centers or other sources that are designed purely as practice tests for the state tests. The state requires none of these tests and their use or overuse is purely a local decision. Those concerned about overreliance on standardized testing and the resulting loss of instructional time should first examine the policies of their local school districts before blaming the state assessment system.

2. The stakes for the test are too high
In order for an accountability system to succeed, there must be incentives for districts, schools, teachers, and students to meet standards. Without consequences, how do we improve schools that continually fail and produce students that are unprepared for higher education or job training? Such schools must be improved, reorganized, or closed. Conversely, districts and schools that continue to meet high standards should be acknowledged and freed from many state regulations.

SB 1031 also requires that a student's results on the EOC exams count 15% of the course grade. This requirement was waived for the 2011-12 school year, as many felt this put too much pressure on students. But how is a state-developed exam that covers state-adopted standards and counts 15% of a course grade any different from a locally-developed exam that counts the same amount? Are these tests more stressful that a college final exam, industry certification exam, job interview, or other high stakes situations our students will face in their lives? The stakes for the tests aren't too high, but the stakes for failing to prepare our students for the real world are.

3. Local districts-not the state-should control testing and grading
Some critics of the system feel that state assessments are unnecessary because our local educators can design tests to cover course material. However, without state testing, there is no way to ensure that students are learning the TEKS at each grade level.

Through the adoption of the TEKS, the state sets academic expectations for our students that culminate in postsecondary readiness. Through the STAAR and EOC exams, the state measures how effectively students meet those expectations. Beyond those requirements, local educators have tremendous freedom in designing curricula, selecting instructional materials, developing assessments, and adopting grading policies. Even with the requirement that the EOC exam counts as 15% of the course grade, each school and district still controls 85% of the grading policies in high school and 100% of the grading policies in elementary and middle schools.

Parents have the right to know how well their children are performing compared to their peers across the state. In addition, the businesses and other taxpayers that support our public school system through property taxes have the right to know that the system they fund is producing the promised results. Expecting our students to spend 8 to 20 hours per year demonstrating their academic progress on state standards is not unreasonable-it is sound public policy.

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The Truth About Standardized Testing In Texas

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With the implementation of the new STAAR testing system in Texas, there has been an outcry from some parents, educators, and commentators that the state places too much emphasis on standardized testing.

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According to this article, Standardized testing is not efficient. All students learn differently and grow at different paces, but this test is designed in a way that all students should fit into one mold. "Educators know that students deserve learning opportunities that are differentiated and responsive to their needs, interests, and learning styles. How we assess students should reflect these priorities" (Standardized Testing & Student Assessment | NEA, n.d.). As an instructional coach, it will be my responsibility to understand both sides of this testing argument.  This article and myself both believe that this test should not be a one size fits all.

Standardized Testing & Student Assessment | NEA. (n.d.). https://www.nea.org/student-success/standardized-testing-student-assessment

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Our Vision for a Better System

Every student deserves access to an excellent education that empowers them to achieve their dreams. To reach that end, we must employ quality assessment practices that generate accurate, useful evidence of student learning. With quality assessments, we can

Identify students' strengths and areas for growth

Encourage students to become lifelong learners

Measure a program's effectiveness

Provide a basis for determining instructional strategies

Create developmentally appropriate, high-quality learning experiences

Standardized tests won't get us there. Educators know that students deserve learning opportunities that are differentiated and responsive to their needs, interests, and learning styles. How we assess students should reflect these priorities.

Transforming assessment systems to be student-centered requires that educators have the professional autonomy, knowledge, skills, and support to use a variety of measures to assess student growth accurately.

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Standardized Testing & Student Assessment | NEA

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Our current assessment systems continue to over-rely on standardized tests, but students aren't standardized. There are better, more equitable ways to assess students' learning, knowledge, and skills.

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"Texas’ student assessment program is designed to measure the extent to which a student has learned and is able to apply the knowledge and skills at each tested grade or course identified in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The state assessment program is fully aligned to the TEKS, the statewide curriculum required to be taught" (Texas Education Agency, n.d.). Testing is extremely important in the field of instructional coaching. Coaches need to know what type of testing is required at each grade level and how to read the data of the testing results, so they can help teachers find ways to re-assess the TEKS that are continuously missed.

One on-going issue with state testing is parents disagreeing with it and wanting to opt their children out of taking these tests. This, unfortunately, is not a legal option for parents. They can keep their child home from school, but legally they cannot opt out of state testing as it is required by law. These parents create a bigger issue when they speak poorly about testing in front of their kids because then this negative attitude spreads like wildfire throughout communities and districts. Choosing to stay home and not test, or choosing to test poorly, introduces the next issue which is state testing giving campuses a report card. Many campuses suffer with this issue because they are scoring low on these district report cards which causes people to move and schools to lose funding.

Texas Education Agency. (n.d.) Testing. https://tea.texas.gov/student-assessment/testing

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Texas' student assessment program is designed to measure the extent to which a student has learned and is able to apply the knowledge and skills at each tested grade or course identified in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The state assessment program is fully aligned to the TEKS, the statewide curriculum required to be taught.

Texas has had a statewide student assessment since 1980. In spring 2012, Texas students began taking the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®). The assessments are administered to students in grades 3-8 and high school. STAAR, including STAAR Spanish, is available on paper and online. Online versions with designated supports for emergent bilingual students (EBs) and students with disabilities are also available. You can view STAAR results and released questions on the STAAR Resources webpage.

The state also offers STAAR Alternate 2 for students who have significant cognitive disabilities and are receiving special education services. Eligibility criteria can be found on the STAAR Alternate 2 Resources webpage.

The Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) and the TELPAS Alternate are provided to assess the progress that EB students make in learning the English language. More information about these testing programs can be found on the TELPAS and TELPAS Alternate Resources webpages.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) also provides free, optional, online interim assessments that align to the TEKS. More information can be found on the state-developed Interim Assessments webpage.

On the Student Assessment webpages, you can also find links to the laws and rules that govern the assessment program and information about the student assessment division, which manages and oversees the administration of the Texas assessment program.

NOTE: If you are an educator and looking for certification information, please visit our Educator Testing page

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Texas' student assessment program is designed to measure the extent to which a student has learned and is able to apply the knowledge and skills at each tested grade or course identified in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The state assessment program is fully aligned to the TEKS, the statewide curriculum required to be taught.

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My topic of choice is required testing in the state of Texas. Testing is a requirement of public schools in the state of Texas. Tested subjects include: math, reading, science, and social studies in grades 3rd-8th. At this current time, the required test in Texas is called the STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) test. I chose this topic because my field of study is Curriculum and Instruction. My hope is to use this master's degree to become an instructional coach for grades K-8th. It is the job of an instructional coach to know what testing is required of all students at each grade in all subjects then relay that information to teachers. It is also my job to take the data of those tests, analyze it, and measure it against other campuses and districts across the state to make sure my campus is doing well in all academic areas. My audience for this legal guide will be teachers and administrators on my campus.