Senate Bill 8 in the Texas Legislature, which would replace the STAAR test with three shorter tests at the beginning, middle and end of the year, passed through the Senate by a vote of 22-6.
If passed during the special session, the end-of-year STAAR tests will continue until the 2027-2028 school year. Then, the Instructionally Supportive Assessment Program would replace it.
“For too long, the STAAR test has placed unnecessary stress on students, teachers and parents while taking valuable time away from real learning,” said Senator Tan Parker of Flower Mound. “That’s why I worked with my colleagues to advance legislation replacing STAAR with shorter, more effective assessments that measure progress throughout the year.”
The goal of the bill is to minimize disruption, receive timely results and make tests shorter, overall.
According to the bill, results will be delivered within two business days after the last day of testing.
In order to “minimize the impact on student instructional time,” tests at the beginning and the middle of the year for third and fourth graders should be completed by students without accommodations in 60 minutes. The end-of-year assessment should be completed within 90 minutes.
For fifth through eighth graders, the beginning and middle-of-year tests should be completed within 75 minutes. The end-of-year tests should be completed within 105 minutes.
“This change puts students first, restores valuable classroom time and strengthens accountability in a fair, constructive way,” said Parker.
According to the bill, the Texas Education Agency would report on February 15, 2027 about how the ISA Program will be implemented.
Northwest ISD recently called on Governor Greg Abbott to abolish the STAAR test, citing the stress it puts on students, teachers and parents.
The district said getting rid of the “high-stakes standardized test” would help in Abbott’s goal to make Texas the top-ranking state in education in the United States.
SB 8 also addressed accountability rankings, which are grades assessed to districts based on student performance. Districts with a school that is graded ‘D’ or ‘F’ can not achieve an overall ‘A’ ranking.
The TEA would release ratings on August 15 of each year. Every fifth year, TEA must increase performance standards toward equity and top-five national rankings.
The rest of SB 8 talks about a grant program TEA will offer that will help districts develop local accountability plans and other legislative oversight details.
For more information and to read the full bill, as well as its companion bill, HB 8, visit the Texas Legislature website.
Something to keep in mind in regard to the current special legislative session, the situation in the Texas House dealing with redistricting may prevent movement for many bills.
