State Assessment

The Texas Education Agency implemented the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) in spring 2012 to fulfill requirements enacted by the Texas Legislature.  STAAR helps to ensure that Texas students are competitive with other students both nationally and internationally.  One important function of STAAR is to gauge how well schools and teachers are preparing their students academically.  The test is specially designed to measure individual student progress in relation to content that is directly ties to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).  Every STAAR question is directly aligned to the TEKS currently in effect for the grade/subject or course being assessed.  

STAAR 3-8 Assessments:

• Reading language arts and mathematics, grades 3–8

• Science at grades 5 and 8

• Social studies at grade 8

STAAR (end-of-course) EOC Assessments:

• English I

• English II

• Algebra I

• Biology

• U.S History

STAAR Spanish is available for English language learners (ELLs) in grades 3-5 for whom an assessment in Spanish provides the most appropriate measure of academic progress.  STAAR Spanish is available in each subject area assessed by the English version assessments, including all retest opportunities.

STAAR Alternate 2
The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness Alternate 2 (STAAR Alternate 2) fulfills federal requirements of both the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  ESEA requires that all students be assessed in specific grades and subjects throughout their academic career, whereas IDEA requires that students with disabilities have access to the same standards as their non-disabled peers and be included in statewide assessments.

STAAR Alternate 2 is a standardized item-based assessment administered individually to each eligible student enrolled in grades 3-8 and end-of-course subjects.  STAAR Alternate 2 is administered to eligible students with significant cognitive disabilities who are receiving special education services in the following grades and subjects:

• grades 3-8 reading language arts

• grades 3-8 mathematics

• grades 5 and 8 science

• grade 8 social studies

• Algebra I, English I, English II, biology, and U.S. history EOC assessments

TELPAS fulfills federal requirements for assessing the English language proficiency of ELLs in kindergarten through grade 12 in four language domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.  TELPAS reports student performance in terms of four English language proficiency levels:  beginning, intermediate, advanced, and advanced high.  TELPAS results are used in accountability and performance-based monitoring indicators.  The assessment components for grades K-1 and 2-12 include the following:

• Grades K-1

  • holistically rated observational assessments of listening, speaking, reading, and writing

• Grades 2-12

  • multiple-choice online reading tests in six grade clusters: 2, 3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, and 10-12

  • holistically rated student writing collections

  • holistically rated observational assessments of listening and speaking