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Thinking as a future educational administrator, it is crucial that I keep in mind best practices for my students and staff. By doing so I would include following the laws while trying to maintain a healthy, transparent, and growth mindset.

Best practices include:

Staying educated and up to date on laws.

Keeping my students and facutly's mental health at the forefront of all decisions.

Understanding law requirements.

Speaking up and out for the students, their families, and district stakeholders.

Making sure that our campus is properly trained- local region center, district policies, and state laws.

Communicating expectations with staff and sending them updated information.

Following TEA recommendations and requirements.

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Slide #12 Non-Law Source: National Education Association

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Slide #12 Non-Law Source: National Education Association

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(2020). ESSA and Testing. National Education Association. https://www.nea.org/resource-library/essa-and-testing

This is a quick overview of the purpose of ESSA and testing. It's a great resource for administrators and educators to review for information about provisions included to make sure that public education focuses more on the students learning and growth, and less standardized testing.

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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=7&ch=247&rl=2

(1) Professional Ethical Conduct, Practices and Performance.
(G) Standard 1.7. The educator shall comply with state regulations, written local school board policies, and other state and federal laws.

Testing irregularities happen, some minor and some major. It is the duty of the campus administrator to know, follow, and make sure that staff are properly trained to avoid those irregularities.

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Crosbyton CISD. (2022). Student Handbook P. 90-92. https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/613/Crosbyton_CISD/2295501/22-23_CCISD_Student_Handbook_Revised.pdf

Pages 90-92 of the Student Handbook cover required school assessments in grades 3-12. It communicates that the school district follows state laws according to assessments.

The sections include, but are not limited to:

Standardized Testing

STAAR

Failure to Perform

Standardized Testing for Students in Special Programs

Growth/Graduation Plans

EOCs

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Slide #9 Administrative Law: Texas Education Agency House Bill 3906

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Slide #9 Administrative Law: Texas Education Agency House Bill 3906

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Texas Education Agency, Assessment Initiatives, House Bill 3906
https://tea.texas.gov/student-assessment/assessment-initiatives/hb-3906

Texas Education Agency, House Bill 3906, Texas Through-year Assessment Pilot
https://tea.texas.gov/student-assessment/assessment-initiatives/hb-3906/texas-through-year-assessment-pilot

It's important to know and understand prior, current, and possible future educational assessment laws. I can't help but wonder how many administrators in Texas are aware of HB 3906 and the changes that could be coming to state assessments.

“House Bill (HB) 3906, passed by the 86th Texas Legislature in 2019, addresses several components related to assessments and administration, including expanding input from educators and providing more flexibility at the campus level for test administration” (TEA, House Bill 3906, 2019).

HB 3906 sheds light on changes in the education system and the requirements of assessing our students. There are 4 main components that are bringing hope to the educators, students, and parents across the state of Texas:

1.    STAAR Redesign- a redesign that includes changes such as:

Transitioning to online assessments by the 2022–23 school year

Adding new item types and capping the percentage of multiple-choice items

Eliminating stand-alone writing assessments for grades 4 and 7 and incorporating cross-curricular passages to assess new reading language arts Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)

2.      Assessment Educator Advisor Committee- In collaboration, a committee comprised of experts in curriculum and instruction, higher education and school leadership, and individuals with experience supporting special populations meets regularly to advise the commissioner and the TEA to determine appropriate state assessment.

3.      STAAR Interim Assessments- a ‘free, optional online tool’ required by HB 2906 are available through TEA to a STAAR tested grades and subjects.

4.      Texas Through-year Assessment Pilot (TTAP)- this happens to be my favorite! TEA states that the TTAP ‘has the potential to eventually replace the single summative assessment model.’ This newly launched pilot program made its debut in designated participating schools across Texas during the 2022-2023 school year, it will add more schools the 2023-2024 school year, and will use the feedback from the participating schools to determine a plan moving forward. TEA has stated that benefits will include ,but are not limited to (TEA, Texas Through-year Assessment Pilot, 2023):

Multiple Testing Opportunities - Students will have three opportunities to demonstrate mastery of TEKS over the course of the school year. TTAP assessments serve as a viable replacement to locally adopted benchmarks and are 100% TEKS aligned.

Timely Student Reports - After each testing opportunity, teachers will receive individualized student reports, which include data such as performance levels, prediction to the STAAR, and in-year growth. These reports can be used in discussions with students and parents to share progress.

Flexible Training Options - Teachers will receive training on accessing and interpreting student results to form instructional groups and support classroom instructional decisions. In Year 2, TEA  will continue to offer synchronous and asynchronous training options, along with additional training supplements for optional access.

Additional Online Platform and Item Type Exposure - All TTAP progress monitoring opportunities will be administered on the same online platform as STAAR, giving students additional chances to interact with the system’s functionalities. TTAP participants will be also able to interact with different question types that are now used on the redesigned STAAR test.

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Module 7_Texas Through-year Assessment Pilot

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Slide #8 Statutory Law: Texas Education Code-   § 39.023.  ADOPTION AND ADMINISTRATION OF INSTRUMENTS

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Slide #8 Statutory Law: Texas Education Code-   § 39.023.  ADOPTION AND ADMINISTRATION OF INSTRUMENTS

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Public School System Accountability, Tex. Edu. Code § 39.023
https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.39.htm

When reviewing the instruments included here, an education administrator can gain knowledge on WHO is tested (grade levels), WHAT it's tested (the covered subjects), and HOW it's tested (questions related to state standards).

Texas Education Code § 39.023 addresses and specifically states adoption and administration of assessments.

When reviewing Part a) you will find:

o   What is assessed (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills- TEKS)

o   Who is assessed (3rd through 8th grade)

o   Subjects (Reading, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science)

Upon further reading of the subsections of a) it breaks down the above bulleted sections into more precise directives that include:

·         Assessment instruments

·         Student assessment requirements

·         Criterion-referenced assessment instruments

·         Time allocated/restrictions

·         Compliancy with federal laws

When researching Part b) you will find:

·         Appropriate criterion-referenced assessment instruments for students in the special education program

·         Assessment instruments for cognitively disabled students

And Part c) covers:

·         End of course (EOC) assessments

·         What subjects require EOCs

·         Who/grade level

·         The instrument for assessing the EOC

·         The purpose of the EOC

The remaining Parts d) through p) go through and pin-point commissioner responsibilities in communicating instruments, specific questions, released information, and practice tests/answer keys.

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Slide #7 Statutory Law: Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

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Slide #7 Statutory Law: Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

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U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). https://www.ed.gov/essa?src=ft

As a future principal, I applaud President Obama for seeing the need for educational reform. As an educator for 15 years, it's not hard for those of us involved to see and know the constant evolution of education. This Act brought to light the unethical policies in education when it came to the differences of our students and made it a law to focus on differentiation to provide for all student success.

In 2015, President Barak Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act. The ESSA “reauthorized the 50 year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, U.S. Department of Education), the nation’s national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students” (Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)). The ESEA was a civil rights law that President Lyndon B. Johnson signed because he believed that “full educational opportunity should be our first nations goal” (ESSA and ESEA, U.S. Department of Education).
“As per the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Title IV, Part A, Subpart 1, sections 4104(a)(2) and 4106(e)(1)(E), TEA is required to collect and publicly report how all LEA Title IV, Part A, Subpart 1 funds are being expended per content areas by Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) and the degree to which progress has been made toward meeting program objectives and intended outcomes (Texas Education Agency, 2022).”
In preparation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (2015), President Obama collaborated with “educators and families to create a better law that focused on the clear goal of fully preparing all students for success in college and careers.”
ESSA includes provisions that will help to ensure success for students and schools. Below are just a few. The law:

Advances equity by upholding critical protections for America's disadvantaged and high-need students.

Requires—for the first time—that all students in America be taught to high academic standards that will prepare them to succeed in college and careers.

Ensures that vital information is provided to educators, families, students, and communities through annual statewide assessments that measure students' progress toward those high standards.

Helps to support and grow local innovations—including evidence-based and place-based interventions developed by local leaders and educators.

Sustains and expands this administration's historic investments in increasing access to high-quality preschool.

Maintains an expectation that there will be accountability and action to effect positive change in our lowest-performing schools, where groups of students are not making progress, and where graduation rates are low over extended periods of time.

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Slide #6 Federal Law: Department of Education Organization Act (Public Law 96-88) of 1979- which stems from The Department of Education Establishment (1867)

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Slide #6 Federal Law: Department of Education Organization Act (Public Law 96-88) of 1979- which stems from The Department of Education Establishment (1867)

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U.S. Department of Education (2011). Mission. https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/mission/mission.html

U.S. Department of Education. (2010). An Overview of the U.S. Department of Education. https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/focus/what.html#:~:text=The%20Department's%20History,statistics%20about%20the%20nation's%20schools.

One hundred and twelve years AFTER President Andrew Jackson signed a legislation to create the U.S. Department of Education, the Department of Education Organization Act was signed to strengthen, encourage, improve, and promote was was put in place for education years prior! As a current teacher and future principal, I feel like this federal law is important to understand because it gives us a timeline of public education, the changes/lack of changes, and vision the government has for education.

When President signed the legislation that created the U.S. Department on Education in 1867, it allowed more focus on education. This department began focusing on statistics around the United States education, the funding allocated for education, and how education can be reformed to meet the needs of the students across the nation!
President Andrew Jackson signed a legislation in 1867 that created the first Department of Education. The intent for this legislation was to collect information and statistics from the public schools across the nation, however it was demoted the next year from a Department to an Office due to too much control over schools. Through the years the name has changed:

o   Department of Education

o   Office of Education

o   U.S. Department of Interior

o   U.S. Department of Health Education and Welfare

o   Health and Human Services

As different government officials have reviewed and revised the agenda to meet the most current needs of education. The most common trend noticed was the increased number of employees and funding designated toward education.

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https://www.kens5.com/article/news/education/some-staar-test-results-now-available-while-others-remain-delayed-texas-education/273-a3f8c170-3b0a-4260-8321-63a4198a1018

This article really presents the frustration of education administration from the standpoint of standardized testing, expectations, and added stressors.

In April/May of this year, students across Texas took the STAAR test on a digital format. The test results were expected in June, however there has been a delay with the majority of the testing results due to the new changes.
"Educators from across the state will convene in the spring and summer to provide their expert opinions and verify that the cut points and related scale scores are appropriate for the redesigned STAAR assessments. Given this extra activity, the reporting process will be a bit longer this summer," the TEA said on its website.

Now schools are expected to wait. Administrators, teachers, parents, and students must wait on results that can have an impact directly on the students learning. This is not ok.

While administrators should have ample time to receive scores, give information to parents, and make plans for their campuses, grade levels, and individual student success, they are having to wait.

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STAAR test results for grades 3-8 will not be available until after August 11, just before most Texas students return to school for the new school year.

AUSTIN, Texas - Parents can now view their child's STAAR end-of-course results in the family portal for the 2022-2023 school year, but STAAR tests for grades 3-8 are still delayed.

This comes after significant delays in the reporting the test results. The tests are taken at the end of the school year in April and May and, in most years, the results are available in mid-to-late June.

STAAR test results for grades 3-8 will not be available until after August 11, just before most Texas students return to school for the new school year.

The Texas Education Agency said the delay is due to a change in how the STAAR test is scored.

"Educators from across the state will convene in the spring and summer to provide their expert opinions and verify that the cut points and related scale scores are appropriate for the redesigned STAAR assessments. Given this extra activity, the reporting process will be a bit longer this summer," the TEA said on its website.
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Some STAAR Test results now available while others remain delayed

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STAAR test results for grades 3-8 will not be available until after August 11, just before most Texas students return to school for the new school year.

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Slide #4 Current News: Houston Public Media

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Slide #4 Current News: Houston Public Media

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https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/education/2023/03/01/444946/as-texas-staar-test-goes-fully-online-teachers-feel-defeated-texas-education-agency-projects-confidence/

Teachers and school district administrators across Texas are feeling the frustrations and stress that STAAR brings every year. This year, 2023, the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test went to a strictly only online form. Not only did this stress out students and their families, but it also had teachers, and school administrators feeling stressed out.

As an educator, mother of 4, and future principal I want to be sure to keep the mental health of my students and faculty a priority. This current state assessment does just the opposite. More and more educators are getting out of the profession all together due to the 'hoops' we must jump through to try to help our students succeed.

This article points out how we are expected to uphold our professional duties to ensure that all students needs are met, however the test is completely standardized and now its all digital.

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Education

Educators are still trying to catch students up from the massive learning losses of the pandemic while also preparing kids for the redesigned STAAR, which is now a fully online standardized test.

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It's test prep season across Texas, and public school teachers are even more stressed than normal as they prepare students for the first fully online standardized tests this spring.

Some of the questions look familiar.

From the 5th grade science practice exam: "How many planets in the solar system are farther from the Sun than Jupiter?"

That's a typical multiple choice question with one correct answer. After Jupiter, the only planets are Saturn, Uranus and Neptune (Pluto is a dwarf planet).

A practice test showing how the new format of the STAAR standardized testing. This year will be the first time it is fully online.

A practice test showing how the new format of the STAAR standardized testing. This year will be the first time it is fully online.

A practice test showing how the new format of the STAAR standardized testing. This year will be the first time it is fully online.

A practice test showing how the new format of the STAAR standardized testing. This year will be the first time it is fully online.

Under the 2019 state law that mandated the virtual move, those familiar multiple choice questions will make up no more than 75% of the new test. For the other part, there's an array of more than a dozen new question formats , like drop down menus, multiple choice questions with more than one right answer, drag and drops, and - another big change - writing prompts, for all grade levels.

In another question from the 5th grade science practice test, students read about the striped skunk and the giant panda, then answer this question: "What are two likely reasons why the striped skunk has a much greater population in the wild than the giant panda?"

That question asks for a "short constructed response," basically a few sentences or a paragraph.

There are also essay prompts. In the 3rd grade reading practice exam, students read an article about pumpkins, then: "Explain how bees and pumpkins are beneficial to one another. Write a well organized informational essay that uses specific evidence from the article to support your answer."

Again, this is a big change. Previously, writing was its own exam for 4th and 7th graders. Now, all grade levels that take the STAAR will see writing questions, sometimes across multiple subjects.

Lily Laux is deputy commissioner of school programs with the Texas Education Agency, which oversaw the redesign. STAAR 2.0 is supposed to be more holistic than previous exams.

"In general, this idea of kids being able to show work and demonstrate what they're actually understanding is where the new questions are headed," she said.

According to Laux, the test won't be harder because there's a balance in the amount of easy and difficult questions, based on field testing and teacher input.

But educators are stressed.

Brian Woods is superintendent of Northside ISD in San Antonio and president of the Texas School Alliance.

"Teaching an eight year old to manipulate that software so that they get what they need in order to be able to prove what they know - that's a whole other thing that's been added to teachers' plates," he said.

He said the online format can be good, though.

"I think that it's not all bad to move to virtual testing," Woods said. "There are reasons to do it. For instance, you do get results back much quicker on an online test than you would on a standard paper pencil test ... for the most part, I think we can prepare students to transition. Now in year one, it's going to be a heck of a transition, right?"

And again, this is a huge workload for teachers who are already stressed.

"Teachers themselves feel defeated," said Rodrigo Cantu, a math instructional coach at the Jubilee Academies charter network in San Antonio.

As Cantu pointed out, educators are still trying to catch students up from the massive learning losses of the pandemic while also preparing kids for the redesigned STAAR.

And not every student has a computer at home.

"The students that we service don't have all the resources provided to them," Cantu said. "They didn't have private tutors, they didn't have access to parents that are knowledgeable in the content, they didn't have this bevy of resources that students in more affluent school districts and neighborhoods have had this whole time."

In Houston ISD, Erika De La Rosa teaches 7th grade English.

The addition of writing across subjects and grade levels isn't a big deal for her. She's been teaching for eight years, and her 7th graders already had to take a STAAR writing exam. But that's not the case for every teacher, and professional development (PD) is limited.

"With the redesign, there is more writing in this so it's spread out, and so teachers who are not used to incorporating writing into their assessments are unsure of how to do this," she said. "It's one of those things where you get like one PD at the beginning of the year, 'This is what you're going to see ... and incorporate writing in all of your lessons,' but teachers who have never done that don't know how to do that."

Another concern on everyone's mind: Will the tech work?

Two years ago, an optional online version of the STAAR crashed . The Texas Education Agency described the situation as "completely unacceptable" and blamed the test vendor, Educational Testing Service.

Lily Laux with TEA pointed to an important change.

"We have an entirely new vendor," she said. "We have done some really extensive load testing ... I can share with confidence, again, that we feel great about the changes that have been made since then."

She also said districts have had plenty of time and state resources to ramp up infrastructure - but past experiences have teachers worried.

"I think the biggest concern is: will the internet, will the software, will all of the technology be able to support the whole district on something at once," De La Rosa said. "Which we've tried in the past, and it has been super glitchy."

The tech-heavy approach is also a concern for students in special education, who might do better with a paper test. Parents with students who need that or other accommodations should make sure it's outlined in the Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

"If they have it in their IEP, we will make sure that a student has a paper test," Laux said.

So, if your child's IEP doesn't include needed accommodations, request a meeting with your school to update the plan before spring.

Students in elementary and middle schools can feel less stressed about this year's test. As Laux pointed out, grade level promotions before high school are no longer tied to the exams.

"I do think it's really important for folks to know that it is not a high-stakes test, and that there are no student-level consequences for STAAR," she said. "I think a lot of times we hear that misconception - 'why are we putting this pressure on kids.' In fact, there's no no kid-level consequences for this."

But the test remains high-stakes for teachers - whose performance ratings and pay are often determined by standardized test scores - and for schools and districts. Houston ISD is still facing a potential state takeover due to years of failing accountability ratings at one campus. If other districts have even one school where students don't perform well on the redesigned STAAR for several years, they could face the same outcome.

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As Texas STAAR test goes fully online, teachers 'feel defeated,' Texas Education Agency projects confidence | Houston Public Media

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Educators are still trying to catch students up from the massive learning losses of the pandemic while also preparing kids for the redesigned STAAR, which is now a fully online standardized test.

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Slide #3 Professional Association: Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE)

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Slide #3 Professional Association: Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE)

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Association of Texas Professional Education. https://www.atpe.org/

ATPE is a Texas association that focuses on "professionalism, member-owned/member-governed, right to work/oppose strikes, superior services to members, all-inclusive, leadership, collaborative, issues-oriented advocacy, independent association, and local control of public schools" (ATPE, n.d.). As an educator for 15 years I have utilized this association and I plan on continuing it as I transition into the administration/principal role!

This professional organization provides a multitude of resources (educators communicating educators), its own magazine, legal resources, as well as classroom resources.

The ATPE Vision
The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) supports the state’s largest community of educators who are dedicated to elevating public education in Texas.

The ATPE Mission
ATPE advocates for educators and delivers affordable, high-quality products and services that give members the peace of mind needed to inspire student success.

Additionally, the BOD, with assistance from staff, also developed three goals that support the vision and mission statements:

1. Market—By understanding market conditions, ATPE will attract, engage, and retain members.

2. Resourcing/Allocation—ATPE will strategically align resources and seek partners to safeguard an efficient, sustainable, and aligned association.

3. Organizational Responsiveness—ATPE will review, optimize, and modernize components of the organization to ensure responsiveness to member needs.

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Every school year, students of public education are required to take a standardized exam. In the state of Texas, current students in 3rd through 8th grade are annually assessed by the STAAR (State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness) on the Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills). The test has had numerous names as the years have gone by and the questions have become more rigorous, but the process remains. As I prepare as a future education administrator, I want to become more familiar with the laws, the progression, the justification, and what I can do as a campus principal. Our schools, teachers, students, and parents deserve to be communicated to as stakeholders and those invested in our school.

Through the years, laws have been put in place to protect our students as equals. These laws are not limited to but require students to be placed in least restrictive environments, promote differentiation in the classroom to allow all student success, and for students to rise to ever growing standards. Districts continue to try to jump through the new hoops of state requirements, as more and more educators are leaving the profession (they once loved) due to the rise in stress and demanding expectations at the expense of our children. At what point do we allow the well-being of our students take top priority, and what steps need to be taken to ensure that new direction?

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As a 15 year public educator and future education administrator, it is crucial to know and understand the laws and ethics surrounding Required Testing in Schools.
Now, more than ever, we have more and more district stakeholders questioning the rationale behind all the testing. I selected this topic so I can gain a better understanding of the history behind testing in public education, the rational behind standardized testing, and what we could evolve in to in the near future.