Both Republicans and Democrats have said STAAR sets students up for failure, raising questions about basing a state takeover on the test’s results.

In this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Tribune reporter Sneha Dey and the Commit Partnership’s Bridget Worley about the changes to the state’s standardized test.

House Bill 8 scraps the unpopular exam for three shorter tests at the beginning, middle and end of the year starting in the 2027-28 school year.

Democrats say recent changes to the bill give too much power to the TEA and fall short of meaningfully easing the pressures of standardized testing.

Test scores rose slightly after math scores previously fell last year.

In the 2024-25 school year, 14% of Texas school districts got an A, 71% got a B or a C, and 15% got a D or an F, new state data shows.

Before House Bill 8 can go to the governor, the House must formally agree with changes from the Senate, which approved the proposal Wednesday night.

Results released by the Texas Education Agency on Tuesday show State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) scores have seen improvements this year, even as San Antonio-area districts struggled with math.

The mixed-bag results showed early literacy improvements, a key indicator of future academic success, but underline the challenges of preparing children for STEM-related jobs.

Education policy experts say the results align with Texas’ workforce goals but note that students still need help.

The Texas Education Agency released scores showing how Texas high schoolers performed on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness end-of-course exams.

An agenda driven by conservative priorities, schools’ financial duress and teacher needs led to an $8.5 billion boost, new discipline rules, more Christianity in classrooms and a DEI ban.

The state standardized test has long been criticized for taking instructional time away from teachers and putting unnecessary pressure on students.

The chambers differ on how much power districts should have to push back in courts over their accountability ratings. They risk keeping STAAR by default if they don’t reach an agreement.

For many students and teachers, the STAAR test can be a source of stress and anxiety. But at Mark Twain Dual Language Academy, one teacher is flipping that narrative and getting recognized for it.

House Bill 4 would make the test shorter and base scores on how students’ performance compares to national averages.

The Texas Education Agency released the 2022-23 school year ratings on Thursday after a 19-month legal battle over how those ratings are calculated.

Failing grades for districts were made public for the first time since 2019. They showed schools with the poorest students were more likely to get a low score.

The bill would require the state to reduce the test’s length, prioritize post-secondary preparation and launch a revamped version by 2026.

Revising the social studies curriculum could be among the divisive issues the Texas State Board of Education tackles next year.

The latest results in math are a setback after two years of modest progress toward recovering from the pandemic.

Algebra scores have not recovered since the pandemic, raising worries about students’ readiness for STEM-related jobs.

The state will save more than $15 million by using technology similar to ChatGPT to give initial scores, reducing the number of human graders needed. The decision caught some educators by surprise.

Policy experts worry students will fall short of the state's future workforce needs. Educators hope the new curriculum will help them.

TEA said it needs to make adjustments to account for changes in students’ academic performance after the pandemic. The delay comes after several school districts sued to stop the agency from releasing school rankings produced under a new rating system.

Lawmakers failed to pass legislation on school vouchers or teacher raises this year, but they approved other education-related laws like an $800 million investment in high-quality instructional materials and new rules for students found vaping or using marijuana.

Test results have gone up since the pandemic in both subjects, but math scores are still below 2019 levels and about half of Texas students read below the level appropriate for most children in their grade.

Mike Miles has wasted no time in restructuring schools and proposing administrative layoffs. The changes are designed to pay teachers at struggling schools more if their students show improvement.

The Texas House’s education committee is soon expected to discuss the new version of Senate Bill 8, which was heavily modified to sway votes in the lower chamber.

Readers sometimes ask us if the outcomes in governing are predetermined and whether civic engagement makes a difference. There are plenty of examples of Texans influencing lawmakers’ decisions.

The Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate has said several times he will end the annual standardized tests. State and federal law make it impossible.

The Texas Education Agency has dismissed the notion that the accountability ratings are a poverty rating. As evidence, they point to districts like those in the Rio Grande Valley, which have achieved high marks while serving a high number of economically disadvantaged students.

Students saw improvement in the STAAR tests for Algebra I, Biology and U.S. History.

For the first time since the pandemic, Texas schools will again be rated based on standardized tests. But for one year only, schools that receive a D or F will get a “not rated” label.

Public education in Texas — like everywhere in the country — is hurting after more than two years of pandemic. But many in the political class are preoccupied with reforms that have more to do with social issues than with education.

A San Antonio state lawmaker is once again taking aim at a state-mandated test that assesses school district and campus performance.

Some Texas Republicans are busy raising questions about what's in the books in the state's public school libraries. The real problem isn't in the books.

The drop was more significant in districts that had most of their instruction online, compared to districts with more in-person classes.

AUSTIN, Texas – In an effort to gauge how much students have learned this school year, including being educated from home due to the coronavirus, the Texas Education Agency has launched free, optional end-of-year assessments that school systems and parents can choose to administer. The optional test is not required and does not take the place of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness or STAAR Test that Gov. The results of the optional testing will provide valuable data that informs further instructional support school systems can provide this summer and into the coming school year. Parents can register their student for the optional EOY assessments from May 12 thru June 5. Districts may also print PDF versions of the tests from the testing platform and send to students along with the paper answer documents.