STAAR Testing

The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) was introduced during the 2011-2012 academic year, replacing the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). The STAAR assessments are administered to students in grades 3 through 8, as well as those enrolled in high school-level courses such as Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II, and U.S. History. These assessments are aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards in the areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies.
 
Recently, the STAAR assessment was redesigned to facilitate online administration. This transition supports students in general education, special education, and English language learner programs. The redesign was initiated by House Bill (HB) 3906, passed by the 86th Texas Legislature in 2019, and was fully implemented during the 2022-2023 school year.
 
The updated STAAR assessment now features components such as online testing with accommodations, new question formats, cross-curricular passages, and evidence-based writing tasks.
 
Students will be assessed annually in Reading, Language Arts, and Mathematics for grades 3-8; Science for grades 5 and 8; and Social Studies for grade 8. End-of-Course (EOC) assessments will also be administered for Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II, and U.S. History.

Change in State testing is upon us again. A new testing procedure will be implemented beginning with the 2027/2028 school year. What was once known as STAAR will now be referred to at the SST (Student Success Tool). This State mandated test will assess students in grades 3-8 three times per year. Students will take a BOY (beginning of the year) assessment, a MOY (middle of the year) assessment and the SST at the end of the academic year. High School BOY and MOY assessments are left to the individual district. As more information is released by the State, we will certainly remain transparent in our communication.