In the spring of 2012, STAAR – the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness – will replace the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) program.

The Texas Education Agency, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and Texas educators worked together to develop a new assessment system as set forth by the 80th and 81st Texas legislatures. The focus was on increasing postsecondary readiness of graduating high school students and helping to ensure that Texas students are competitive with other students both nationally and internationally.

There will be two cut scores, and they will identify three performance categories:
•    Level III: Advanced Academic Performance
•    Level II: Satisfactory Academic Performance
•    Level I: Unsatisfactory Academic Performance

Follow up:

The new tests will be used beginning in the 2011-2012 school year. Therefore, the students in the graduating Class of 2015 (now in the 7th grade) will be the first students who must meet the end-of-course testing requirements, as well as pass their classes, in order to earn a diploma.

The tests will be more rigorous and will indicate college and career readiness rather than minimum skills for older students. There will be fewer multiple choice questions and more open-ended questions. The test will be more unified, comprehensive assessment, and will incorporate more college and career readiness standards. Assessment will be longer, and will measure skills at a greater depth and level of complexity thereby giving a better evaluation of the academic growth of higher-achieving students.

All students in grades 3 through 8 will be tested in reading and math, with students in specific grades also tested in science, social studies and writing. In high school, students will take 12 end-of-the-course exams. There will be three each in English, math, science, and social studies. Also, a student will have to earn a passing average in each subject area to receive a diploma. These end-of-course exams will be phased in with 9th graders in the 2011-2012 school year.

On the elementary and middle school level, students are tested on only one subject per day. That has not changed from the TAKS test. However, the students will have more questions and they will be more difficult. A longer time will be needed per test so students testing will not end by noon as was usual but will last into the afternoon. The tests will not be timed.

High school students will take end-of-course tests as each subject is completed. The test will count as 15% of the final grade for the particular course.

The results of the STAAR test will be used to calculate annual school and district performance rating beginning in 2011-2012.

The dyslexia bundled accommodations will be available for students  and other reading disabilities on the STAAR reading assessments in grades 3 through high school – the oral reading of item stems/answer options only and extended testing time, if needed. The needs of a student will be considered when determining which accommodations to use. However, a proper-noun list like the one used in the TAKS assessments will not be available. Revisions to the English Language Learner (ELL) test participation criteria will be made through the commissioner of education rulemaking process and posted on the Texas Education Agency website in the fall of 2011.