TEA releases STAAR assessments

The following is a press release from the Texas Education Agency on the release of 2013 STAAR assessments: August 5, 2013

TEA releases STAAR® assessments

AUSTIN – The Texas Education Agency (TEA) today released copies of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) and made those assessments available for viewing on the agency’s website. Commissioner of Education Michael L. Williams announced in March his intent to accelerate the scheduled release dates for all general assessments following the statewide spring administration of the tests. The 83^rd Texas Legislature subsequently passed (and the governor signed into law) House Bill 5, which also required TEA to release the assessments. The following 2013 STAAR assessments have been released:

Grades 3-8 – Math, Science, Reading, Writing, Social Studies
High School Math – Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II
High School Science – Biology, Chemistry, Physics
English I Reading, English II Reading, English III Reading
English I Writing, English II Writing, English III Writing
World History, World Geography, U.S. History

“The release of these assessments should assist students, parents, teachers and district administrators in understanding the depth and breadth of content and skills assessed on STAAR and the level of performance required for student success on each assessment,” said Commissioner Williams. Beginning in the 2013-2014 school year, only five of the previous 15 STAAR end-of -course assessments will be administered at the high school level: Algebra I, English I, English II, biology, and U.S. history. There are no changes to the assessment requirements in grades 3 through 8. Under the Texas Education Code and State Board of Education rule, primary test forms must be released every three years. Commissioner Williams’ directive has now made all general STAAR assessments – all of which were not scheduled for release until 2014 or beyond – immediately available for review. The STAAR Modified assessment is not part of this accelerated release, but will be made available in 2014, as currently scheduled. The U.S. Department of Education has informed states that assessments based on modified standards for students served by special education cannot be used for accountability purposes after the 2013–2014 school year. As a result of this federal directive, all STAAR Modified assessments will be administered for the final time during the 2013–2014 assessment cycle. The assessments are available for review in the Student Assessment Division area of the TEA web site at: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/testquestions.

TEA releases STAAR assessments

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