STAAR Testing Will Be Administered This School Year

SAN ANGELO, TX -- For months parents, educators, and lawmakers have debated if STAAR testing should take place this year as students faced major changes to their school year. STAAR tests will be administered, but the TEA will not publish grades of the school districts this year.

"The last nine months have been some of the most disruptive of our lives. The challenges have been especially pronounced for our parents, teachers, and students," said Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath. "We continue to prioritize the health and safety of students, teachers, and staff in our schools this year, while working to ensure students grow academically."

On Thursday, the Texas Education Agency announced that "A-F ratings would be paused for 2020-21 school year due to the ongoing disruptions associated with COVID-19. "

“The issuance of A-F ratings for schools has proven to be a valuable tool to support continuous improvement for our students, allowing educators, parents, and the general public to better identify and expand efforts that are working for kids," said Morath. "But the pandemic has disrupted school operations in fundamental ways that have often been outside the control of our school leaders, making it far more difficult to use these ratings as a tool to support student academic growth. As a result, we will not issue A-F ratings this school year."

Students will still be required to take the 2020-2021 tests to provide parents and educators "important information about individual student learning."

School systems are required to make STAAR available to every eligible student. The test will be administered on school campuses across the state or at other secure alternative testing sites. 

Schools that incorporate STAAR results into teacher evaluations have been instructed by the TEA to remove that component for the current school year.

"Ensuring that STAAR is made available has been recognized as vital by education leaders around the state," said the TEA in a statement. "STAAR results will allow schools, teachers, and parents to see how individual students are performing while also giving education leaders and policymakers across Texas a comprehensive picture of what are likely to be sweeping impacts of the pandemic on student learning, helping policymakers craft solutions for the years ahead."