The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) was introduced in the 2011-2012 academic year as a replacement for the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). STAAR is administered to students in grades 3 through 8 and those enrolled in high school-level courses such as Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II, and U.S. History. The assessments are aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards in the subject areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies.

 

Recently, the STAAR assessment underwent a redesign to transition to online delivery. This redesign caters to students in general education, special education, and English language learner programs. The redesign was prompted by House Bill (HB) 3906, passed by the 86th Texas Legislature in 2019, and was fully implemented during the 2022-2023 school year.

 

The redesigned STAAR assessment includes various components such as online testing and accommodations, new question types, cross-curricular passages, and evidence-based writing tasks.

 

Students will be assessed annually in Reading, Language Arts, and Mathematics for grades 3-8, Science for grades 5 and 8, and Social Studies for grade 8. End-of-Course (EOC) assessments will also be conducted for Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II, and U.S. History.