Introduction to the STAAR Test Overhaul
The Texas House has approved a bill to revamp the STAAR test, a widely unpopular standardized test in the state. However, the approval was met with opposition from House Democrats, who are concerned about the proposed changes to the test.
Background on the STAAR Test
The STAAR test has been a topic of discussion among lawmakers, with many agreeing that changes are needed. The test results have a significant impact on the accountability rating system used to evaluate schools in Texas. Lawmakers are using this year’s second special session to try and find an alternative to the STAAR test for the third time.
Proposed Changes to the STAAR Test
The proposed bill, House Bill 8, would replace the STAAR test with three shorter tests administered at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. The bill is similar to its counterpart in the upper chamber, Senate Bill 9. The proposed changes are a result of negotiations between Rep. Brad Buckley and Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston), the author of SB 9.
Concerns from House Democrats
House Democrats are not pleased with the concessions made by Buckley, which they believe would give too much power to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in creating and grading the new end-of-the-year test. During the regular session, the House pushed for changes to how test results were reported, wanting results to be presented as percentile ranks. They also wanted schools to be able to meet state testing requirements with national assessments, hoping to limit the amount of time testing takes up in the classroom.
Key Provisions of the Bill
The bill would apply the changes to two out of the three new tests, but the end-of-the-year test would keep features of the current STAAR test. The TEA would still create the end-of-the-year test and report whether students approached, met, or mastered grade-level skills, comparing student performance to benchmarks set by the state. This is in contrast to the percentile ranks that Democrats preferred to measure academic performance.
Opposition from Democrats
Rep. Gina Hinojosa (D-Austin) expressed concerns that the TEA would have too much power in creating the test, citing a conflict of interest. Buckley pushed back against this idea, pointing to a committee of classroom teachers that the bill would create to evaluate the fairness of the test questions.
Amendments to the Bill
Some Democrats worked with Buckley to add an amendment that would allow students with severe disabilities to be exempt from the first two tests. Rep. Rafael Anchía (D-Dallas) also managed to add an amendment to provide districts with financial relief when they ask for tests to be rescored, a rising concern as the state has leaned more on AI to grade tests.
Concerns about AI Grading
The TEA introduced AI-like technology for grading in 2023 to save dollars, but the inaccuracy of AI grading was central to a recent lawsuit between school districts and the TEA. After the Dallas school district had Texas regrade a chunk of their STAAR tests, five campuses saw their accountability ratings improve. Anchía emphasized the importance of accuracy, saying, "I’m not against this robotic scoring, but I am for accuracy."
Conclusion
The approval of the bill to overhaul the STAAR test has highlighted the divide between House Democrats and Republicans over what a new standardized test should look like. While the bill aims to reduce the pressure of testing on students, Democrats are concerned that the proposed changes do not go far enough and would give too much power to the TEA. As the school year starts, it remains to be seen how the new test will impact students and schools in Texas.
