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The Texas Education Agency (TEA) releases previously administered tests for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR ®), STAAR Alternate 2, and the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS). Some released tests are available in the online testing environment as practice tests, some released tests are available in a printable PDF format, and some are available in both.

Online Practice Tests

The online practice tests are designed to familiarize students with the online testing environment, the available tools, and the various types of test questions. These tests provide students with an opportunity to interact with the test interface, respond to questions, and locate and use available tools.

Practice tests are released tests that have been previously administered and are available for STAAR and TELPAS. The online practice tests provide students with an opportunity to interact with the online testing environment, locate and use the available tools, and respond to the various types of questions. In addition, small sets of test questions are available as practice sets. These practice sets are used to introduce students to new types of test questions.

Access the online practice tests and practice sets by clicking the Practice Tests Login card below.

Printable PDF Released Tests

Printable PDF versions of released tests for STAAR through spring 2022 and STAAR Alternate 2 are available on the TEA website. Access PDF versions of the released STAAR tests by clicking the STAAR Released Tests card below. Access PDF versions of the released STAAR Alternate 2 tests by clicking the STAAR Alternate 2 Released Tests card.

Local education agencies may order printed versions of the STAAR braille released tests. Use the online order form below to order printed STAAR braille released tests.

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The Texas Education Agency (TEA) releases previously administered tests for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR ®), STAAR Alternate 2, and the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS). Some released tests are available in the online testing environment as practice tests, some released tests are available in a printable PDF format, and some are available in both.

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For the past two years I have been working at an international school. It is wonderful to work with and teach learners from such diverse backgrounds and cultures. The new challenge for me has been …

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Wordwall - Create better lessons quicker

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Need a fresh teaching resource that fits your class and teaching style? Create a customized pack of interactive and printable activities in just one minute.

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It used to be thought that brain development was complete by age 5 or 6 and reached adult-size and volume by age 10. During the last few years, brain research has found that the adolescent brain is still developing and the experiences a child has during the ages of 11 to 18 wires the brain and become "fixed" into their adult life. Meaning, what a child does during these years, the routines they establish, skills, attitudes, and coping mechanisms have direct consequences for their adult lives.

"You are hard-wiring your brain in adolescence. Do you want to hard-wire it for sports, music, and math - or for lying on the couch in front of the television?"

Jay Giedd

Since a large percent of an adolescent's waking life is spent in school, educators can have a profound impact on the brain development of their students. While it is true that we as educators have no control over home-life, peer pressure, and other outside influences; most education institutions have practices that are "brain-hostile" rather than "brain-friendly". These would include such things as:

Zero-tolerance discipline policy

Emotionally flat classroom climate

Ban on social media apps in the classroom

More homework, tougher requirements, and a longer school day

Early start time for the school day

Public posting of grades, test scores, and behavior

Locking students into a set learning path

Elimination or shortening of study hall, physical education, and movement in class

Teacher-centered, lecture-based, textbook-driven curriculum

(Thomas Armstrong)

Instead, educators need awareness of brain-friendly practices in which to align their instruction, strategies, and lesson design after. These practices provide educators with current brain research to support positive brain development in adolescents.

8 Brain-Friendly Practices for Middle School and High School Students

1. Choice - The opportunity to choose what they learn, how they learn, and how they demonstrate understanding. This brain maturation and practices in student-choice helps promote making less risky decisions and more sensible ones. Examples: Choice in books, Choice in product creation, Involvement in discussions and debates, Passion projects or Genius Hour.

2. Self-Awareness Activities - During adolescents, students are beginning to establish and articulate who they are. Self-Awareness activities allow exploration and expression of self. Examples: SEL Activities, Interest and Emotional Quizzes, Connect learning to personal lives, Meditation, Journals.

3. Peer Learning - During adolescence, peers play an important role in development and self-esteem. It is important for students to have positive, meaningful interactions with peers through peer teaching, collaboration, and group work. Examples: Group projects, Peer teaching, Mentoring, Peer Feedback.

4. Affective Learning - With adolescents comes the full-range of emotions that are erupting and changing on a whim inside our student's body. Instead of ignoring or punishing these emotional young people, affective learning includes strategies to address these occurrences head on and bring joy back into the classroom. Examples: Build relationships with students! Know their names, celebrate successes as well as negative feelings. Encouragement and Goal-Setting. Teachable moments. SEL. Social Justice and Discussions over controversial topics.

5. Learning by Doing - Having students sit for a whole class period while the teacher lectures only increases disdain for school and boredom. Get kids up and moving to not only increase blood flow, but also to increase executive functioning. Examples: Exercise or brain breaks, Drama and Kinesthetic while learning concepts and topics. Hands-on activities, Stations.

6. Metacognitive Strategies - Around the age of 11 or 12 students move into "formal operations" (Piaget) and start thinking about their thinking. Introducing mindsets, strategies, and critical thinking skills help students move beyond concrete learning to more abstract and are better able to form own opinions and challenge others. Examples: Inquiry Learning. Design Thinking, Evaluation and Analyzation of sources or views. Think Alouds. Heuristics. Goal-Setting.

7. Expressive Arts - Robust creativity and artistic development occurs between the ages of 5-18, but during adolescence, students get fewer experiences in the arts, drama, music, etc. During this time, expressive arts allows middle school and high school students the opportunity to express thoughts and emotions in thoughtful and socially appropriate ways. Examples: Creative Writing, Visual Design and Art Classes, Choice to Demonstrate learning through drama and dance. Integrate video, gaming, and photography into learning. Include music to enhance learning.

8. Real-World Experiences - Provide students learning that not only connects to their life but also demands them to plan, think, organize, and make quick decisions mimicking the types of demands they will encounter throughout life. Real-world experiences also include civic life and their contribution to family, community and society. Examples: Volunteering. Apprenticeships. Service Learning. Community-Based Learning. Entrepreneur Learning.

While not everything is known about the brain, research continues to provide all of us valuable information in which to inform our practices. As late as the 1990's, many thought the brain stopped growing and full-capacity potential reached by age 10. While we now know this to be untrue, there are many things we currently do that goes against current research. It is time to align our instruction to what we know now and consider the 8 brain-friendly practices mentioned above.

Source:Thomas Armstrong. The Power of the Adolescent Brain. 2016.

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8 Brain-Friendly Practices for Middle School and High School Students

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It used to be thought that brain development was complete by age 5 or 6 and reached adult-size and volume by age 10. During the last few years, brain research has found that the adolescent brain is still developing and the experiences a child has during the ages of 11 to 18 wires the brain...

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The English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), as required by 19 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 74, Subchapter A, §74.4, outline English language proficiency level descriptors and student expectations for emergent bilingual students. School districts are required to implement ELPS as an integral part of each subject in the required curriculum.

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Supporting Emergent Bilingual Students in Texas

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Curriculum Requirements

The links below provide PDF versions of each subchapter. You may also access a PDF version of the Chapter 74 table of contents.

A free PDF reader is available on the Adobe website.

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION RULES

§74.1. Essential Knowledge and Skills.
§74.2. Description of a Required Elementary Curriculum.
§74.3. Description of a Required Secondary Curriculum.
§74.4. English Language Proficiency Standards.
§74.5. Academic Achievement Record (Transcript).
§74.6. College and Career Readiness and Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Alignment.

§74.11. High School Graduation Requirements.
§74.12. Foundation High School Program.
§74.13. Endorsements.
§74.14. Performance Acknowledgments.

§74.21. Schedule for Implementation.
§74.22. Options for Offering Courses.
§74.23. Correspondence Courses and Distance Learning.
§74.24. Credit by Examination.
§74.25. High School Credit for College Courses.
§74.26. Award of Credit.
§74.27. Innovative Courses and Programs.
§74.28. Students with Dyslexia and Related Disorders.
§74.29. Texas Advanced Placement Incentive Program.
§74.30. Identification of Honors Courses.
§74.31. Health Classifications for Physical Education.
§74.33. Additional Requirements for Social Studies Classes for Grades 3-12.
§74.35. Additional Requirements for High School Health Classes.
§74.36. Requirements for Elective Courses on the Bible's Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and New Testament and Their Impact on the History and Literature of Western Civilization.
§74.37. Public School Physical Education Curriculum.
§74.38. Requirements for Instruction in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
§74.39. Requirements for Instruction on Proper Interaction with Peace Officers.

§74.61. High School Graduation Requirements.
§74.62. Minimum High School Program.
§74.63. Recommended High School Program.
§74.64. Distinguished Achievement High School Program--Advanced High School Program.

§74.71. High School Graduation Requirements.
§74.72. Minimum High School Program.
§74.73. Recommended High School Program.
§74.74. Distinguished Achievement High School Program--Advanced High School Program.

COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION RULES

§74.1001. College Readiness Vertical Team.
§74.1003. Industry-Based Certifications for Public School Accountability.
§74.1005. College and Career Funding and Reimbursements.
§74.1007. College, Career, or Military Readiness Outcomes Bonus.

§74.1023. Financial Aid Application Requirement for High School Graduation.
§74.1025. Individual Graduation Committee Review.
§74.1027. Diplomas for Certain Individuals Who Entered Grade 9 Before 2011-2012 School Year.
§74.1030. Community-Based Fine Arts Programs.

§74.2001. Phonics Curriculum.

NOTE: The Texas Education Agency makes every effort to ensure that the information published on this Internet site is secure; however, due to the limitations of Internet security, the rules published here are for information only and do not represent legal documentation.

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The links below provide PDF versions of each subchapter. You may also access a PDF version of the Chapter 74 table of contents. A free PDF reader is available on the Adobe website. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION RULES §74.1. Essential Knowledge and Skills. §74.2. Description of a Required Elementary Curriculum.

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The Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) is an English language proficiency assessment aligned to the Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS). This assessment is designed to assess the progress that emergent bilingual (EB) students make in learning the English language. TELPAS fulfills ESSA requirements for assessing EB students in kindergarten through grade 12 in four language domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Grades K-1 include:

holistically rated observational assessments of listening, speaking, reading and writing
Grades 2-12 include online tests for:

listening and speaking

reading and writing

Who Is Tested?

All EB students in kindergarten through grade 12 enrolled in Texas public schools or open-enrollment charter schools are required to participate in TELPAS. EB students are required to be assessed annually with an English language proficiency assessment until they meet EB reclassification criteria.

What Is Tested?

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The Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) is an English language proficiency assessment aligned to the Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS). This assessment is designed to assess the progress that emergent bilingual (EB) students make in learning the English language.

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Unique Student Access Code (Código de acceso único del estudiante):

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Click on picture for ELPS Scrapbook link

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Click on picture for ELPS Scrapbook link

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8.18.22 ELPS Scrapbook - Google Jamboard

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The version of the browser you are using is no longer supported. Please upgrade to a supported browser. Dismiss

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According to second language acquisition research, ELLs benefit from content-area instruction that is accommodated to their need for comprehensible input; academic language instruction integrated into content-area instruction; programs that hold high expectations for students for academic success; and language proficiency standards that provide a common framework for integrating language and content instruction for English learners.

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According to second language acquistion research, Els benefit from:

Content area instruction that is accommodated to their need for comprehensible input; academic language
instruction integrated into content-area instruction; programs that hold high expectations for
students for academic success; and language proficiency
standards that provide a common framework for
integrating language
and content instruction for English Learners.

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Meaningful, Purposeful, opportunities, complex, second language learning process

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According to second language acquisition research, EL's benefit from:
Sheltered Instruction that is accommodated to their need for comprehensible input; sheltered instruction integrated into content-area instruction; programs that hold support for students for academic success; and ELPS standards that provide a common framework for integrating language and content instruction for English Learners.

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According to second language acquisition research , ELs benefit from: Content instruction that is accommodated to the need for comprehensive input, academic language instruction integrates in to content-area instruction, programs that hold high expectations for students for academic success, and ELPS standards that provide a common framework for integrating language and content instruction for English learners.

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Content-area instruction
Academic language Instruction
high expectations
language proficiency standards
language

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According to second language acquisition research, ELs benefit from:
Content area instruction that is accolated to their need for comprehensible input, academic language instruction integrated into content area inst., programs that hold high expectations for students for academic success, lang. prof. standards that provide a common framework for integrating language and content instruction for English learners.

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According to second language acquisition research, ELbenefitfit from: academic language instruction that is accommodated to their need for comprehensible input; purposeful interaction integrated into content-area instruction; programs that hold EB students for academic success; and ELPS standards that provide a common framework for integrating language for EL.

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I will give more extended time.

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I will use visuals and gestures to ensure that students understand what is being taught.

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I will be attentive to and diversify me lessons according to their needs

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I will use visual aids to help students ease into the subject matter

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I will plan my questioning for my EB's using my instruction tool.

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I will adapt my lessons and be diverse

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I will increase the usage of the LIAG during lesson planning. VC

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I will increase the usage of the LIAG during lesson planning. VC

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I will be able to use these strategies as well as refer back to the instructional tools and LIAG for guidance.

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ensure all my students feel safe and comfortable in my classroom by being inclusive and empathetic towards their dominant language and by supporting their learning needs.
Lexi Tovar

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I will provide visuals and use more body movements to enhance what I am trying to say.

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I will differentiate my support strategies according to the needs of my students.

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Support their language by using visuals.

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I will incorporate as many accommodations possible to make the students learning to make it less stressful.

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I will incorporate as many accommodations possible to make the students learning to make it less stressful.

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I will use the randomizer to select various student for better practice in listening and speaking.

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I will...provide as many visual ads for my students to use.

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I will take the time to learn the different learning styles of my students so that I can differentiate accordingly.

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I will use all these strategies in my classroom

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I will provide language support (visuals, sentence stems, repitition, etc) to help my students be successful.

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I will provide more visuals and group discussion

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I will provided more opportunities for interactive objectives.  

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I will provided more opportunities for interactive objectives.  

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support my emergent learners with the different strategies that were taught here such as the random wheel to lower the affective domain.

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I will use visuals so that my students feel safe and comfortable with their learning.

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I will use visuals so that my students feel safe and comfortable with their learning.

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I will make my content and language objectives interactive so that my students can have a better understanding.

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I will use the descriptive levels and strategies to meet my students needs.

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I will apply the knowledge and skills learned in the ELPS training to better accommodate and challenge student in their language, writing, speaking, reading and listening.

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I will provide and utilize visuals and gestures to ensure that my students are understanding what is being taught.

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I will use visual examples so that students can make connections.

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I will use visual examples so that students can make connections.