Texas pauses A-F ratings for schools, but your child will still have to take STAAR test
The Texas Education Agency is pausing A-F ratings for the 2020-21 school year because of the coronavirus, but the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR exam, will proceed.
The STAAR will “provide critically important information about individual student learning that teachers and parents can use to help students grow,” according to the state agency. But disruptions from COVID-19 have made it “far more difficult” to use the A-F ratings as a “tool to support student academic growth,” Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement.
“The last nine months have been some of the most disruptive of our lives,” Morath said. “The challenges have been especially pronounced for our parents, teachers, and students. 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.”
The agency said flexibility will be given to schools that use the STAAR for teacher evaluations, allowing them to remove that component for the school year.
“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,” a news release states. “However, the STAAR will not be used for accountability purposes this school year.”
In November, a bipartisan group of 68 lawmakers in the Texas House of Representatives asked TEA to cancel the test for the year, according to the Texas Tribune.
