Introduction to the Issue
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced plans to replace the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test, a decision that comes as part of a special legislative session starting July 21. The STAAR test has been a point of contention among educators, parents, and policymakers, who argue that it does not accurately reflect student progress or school district accountability.
The Role of the STAAR Test
The STAAR test plays a critical role in the annual grades schools receive from the Texas Education Agency. These grades can have significant consequences, including the potential for state takeover of underperforming school districts. For example, Houston ISD’s elected trustees and superintendent were replaced by the Texas Education Commissioner in June 2023, due to Wheatley High School’s string of failing accountability ratings.
Concerns About the STAAR Test
Critics of the STAAR test argue that it is not an effective tool for assessing student progress or school district accountability. Duncan Klussmann, a former superintendent and professor at the University of Houston’s College of Education, notes that the test itself is not the problem, but rather how the results are used. "It’s often more not the test itself, but it’s often how they use the information and how they use the information in punitive ways towards school districts. That tends to be what people object to more than the test itself," Klussmann said.
What Replacing the STAAR Test Might Mean
Ending the STAAR test does not necessarily mean the end of standardized testing in Texas. Klussmann believes that any replacement would likely be phased in over a period of two to four years, with the current accountability system remaining in place during the transition. "My thought is there’d be a transition time," he said. "They would continue giving the STAAR test the way they are. They would continue with the current accountability system, and then basically take two to four years to develop a new assessment and then implement it at some point."
The Special Legislative Session
The governor’s directive on the STAAR test is part of a packed special session agenda, which also includes flood recovery and disaster prevention, congressional redistricting, and regulating hemp-derived products containing THC. Klussmann notes that special sessions are typically narrow in focus, making this session unusual. "Usually special sessions are very narrow," he said. "It’s a very different call of a session, almost just feels like an extension of the regular session."
Conclusion
The replacement of the STAAR test is a complex issue with significant implications for Texas students, educators, and school districts. While critics of the test may welcome the governor’s announcement, it remains to be seen how the new assessment will address the concerns surrounding standardized testing in Texas. As the special legislative session gets underway, educators, parents, and policymakers will be watching closely to see how the issue unfolds and what the future of standardized testing in Texas will look like.
