TEXAS, USA — Why could the STAAR test be pretty different next year?
It's STAAR testing time, which for many students in our area means stocking up on No. 2 pencils and spending days filling out answer sheets.
Students have the option to take the test online, which is a choice that started last year.
But starting next year, students won’t get a choice. The testing will be done entirely online. Though there are exceptions for lack of internet and accommodations that can’t be reproduced online.
That’s not the only difference students will see next school year.
Amid calls from parents and teachers to get rid of the high-stakes testing, the Texas Education Agency announced a redesign for the 2022-2023 school year.
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One big change will be a move away from multiple choice.
No more than 75 percent of the test can be multiple-choice questions. The standalone writing assessments for Grades 4-7 have also been eliminated.
And while complaints continue over STAAR tests, they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
In fact this year, they will once again be used to grade schools.
In 2020, the tests were canceled because of the pandemic, and last year students were allowed to opt-out.
This round of testing is expected to give the first complete look at learning loss during the pandemic, and experts are predicting scores will be down.