Math, science, English, writing, history. Students across Texas public schools can expect to be tested in these subjects, measuring how much they learned during the school year.
The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, aka STAAR, kicked off last week and runs through the end of April. For about a month public school students in grades 3-12 can expect to take a medley of tests in core subjects depending on what grade they’re in.
Leading up to the test, school days are brim with practice drills, pep rallies and staff pulling off silly stunts to energize kids. At Wilson Elementary School, teachers went viral for producing a parody music video of Bad Bunny’s 2022 “Tití Me Preguntó,” replacing the first lines with “My teacher told me that I’m gonna pass STAAR test.”
On a Thursday morning inside a classroom at Shepard Middle School in South San ISD, eighth graders take turns presenting Algebra word problems — questions similar to what they’ll see on the Algebra I STAAR. Their peers cheer them on.
It can be fun. But testing days are strictly business.
Students are usually asked not to bring anything to school except themselves and maybe a pencil. Almost complete silence is required, and teachers read from black-and-white scripts to guide students through the testing process.
“This is absolutely a stressful season for students, families, for schools, for, teachers and principals,” said Sharene Dixon, instructional superintendent at San Antonio Independent School District. “But we work so hard to show how the teachers, the students, the principals have worked so hard this year, and the benefit will be the greatness that will happen on the assessment.”
What to expect during STAAR
Dixon has worked for more than two decades in education as a teacher, principal and now a district leader. She said families play a “critical role” when it comes to preparing students for the STAAR.
The night before testing, Dixon recommends students get plenty of rest, followed by a healthy breakfast and a calm morning routine to set testers up for success.
Throughout the year, she added, families should build in daily routines to help students retain what they learn every day.
“Families can actually ask, ‘Hey, what strategy did you learn today?’ And just allow the students to talk about it to help them remember,” Dixon said. “When they can teach another person, that means they master it. So I think just having the conversation routines is a big deal.”
On test days, campuses are also more sensitive to what and who comes in and out of the building to keep students focused and make sure every tester gets a fair shot. Backpacks and devices are confiscated during testing, so Dixon said it’s best for students not bring anything except themselves.
Preliminary results for high schoolers come out in May, and full results come out in June. Students and families can access their results through the Texas Education Agency’s family portal, which tracks a student’s STAAR scores every year.
If students don’t perform on grade level, they receive intervention or “accelerated instruction” the next school year and are not required to repeat a school year.
Most school districts let out at the end of May or early June. After testing wraps up, instruction continues to prepare students for the next grade, said Dixon.
Pressure to perform
The pressure is on for several San Antonio area schools that have gotten failing ratings several years in a row.
SAISD has 18 “priority” campuses that have gotten failing ratings for three consecutive years. Those ratings are largely based on results from the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, aka STAAR.
While many public education leaders say the test isn’t the defining mark of how well a school is serving students since it’s only “one day, one test,” if SAISD’s priority schools get a fourth failing rating, the district opens itself up to state intervention.
A fifth year would require the state to take over local control.
Pre-STAAR testing showed a grim outlook for some campuses, forcing SAISD to take preemptive action and buy more time by closing two campuses and handing control of three schools to an outside group.
SAISD is not alone in this challenge. Judson ISD on the far Northeast Side and Edgewood ISD on the West Side also have several campuses requiring quick “turnaround” too. Northside ISD also has a campus that’s gotten three consecutive F-ratings.
As a worst case scenario, SAISD officials estimate that roughly 20 schools could get another failing rating this year based on previous testing. But that’s a very conservative estimate, officials say, and other estimates show several campuses could go from a failing D to a passing C grade.
Dixon is optimistic about this year’s testing season, pointing to new “high-quality” math curriculum SAISD implemented across all schools and additional coaching and support at priority campuses through “professional learning committees.”
Recruiting and retaining “effective teachers” has also become a large focus for school districts as the pressure to perform from the state adds up.
Next year, SAISD plans to implement a new wage system known as the Accelerating Campus Excellence model at three academically struggling campuses: Hot Wells Middle School, Poe Middle School and Crockett Academy. Under this model, teachers with a record of effectively teaching students could receive more than $50,000 on top of their base pay.
A changing test
Despite criticism and changes to the STAAR in years past and future, standardized testing isn’t likely to go away any time soon.
After several calls from lawmakers and STAAR critics to abolish the test during the 2025 legislative session, Texas House Republicans pushed forward House Bill 8, replacing the yearly STAAR with with three shorter tests for grades 3-8 administered during the beginning, middle and end of the year.
High school grades would keep their yearly end of course (EOC) exams and the English II test would be completely eliminated.
The change is meant to take some of the pressure off students and catch learning gaps faster. Officially taking over in 2027-28 school year, HB 8 requires test results to be available within 48 hours instead of taking weeks like it currently does.
The new test would also align with a refreshed A-F school accountability system, which has its own criticisms, though the state is required to change every five years by law.
At SAISD, Dixon and other officials are already discussing what implementation could look like with the new testing system, though nothing is set in stone yet.
As parent and school choice movements gain more traction in Texas, required standardized testing plays a role in motivating families who dislike the system to leave public schools and enroll in homeschooling or private school, where STAAR isn’t required.
But testing isn’t a bad thing, said Dixon. It’s a measurement tool.
“In public schools, we don’t teach to the test. But we do measure the learning,” she said. “It shows students’ growth, how they’ve achieved, and where students need extra support.”
