December 17, 2020

To the Superintendent Addressed:

This correspondence is to notify you that the Preliminary 2021 Accelerated Testers Student Listings and explanatory materials are now available in the TEA Login (TEAL) Accountability application.  Please note that the data in these reports are confidential.

Accelerated testers are defined as students who complete a STAAR EOC at the Approaches Grade Level or above standard in Algebra I, English II, and/or Biology prior to grade 9. To fulfill federal testing requirements, these accelerated students must take a corresponding subject area SAT or ACT while in high school.

Accelerated testers are included on the Preliminary 2021 Accelerated Testers Student Listing if they were reported as enrolled in grade 11 during the 2019–20 4^th six weeks attendance reporting period. Students are attributed to the campus at which they were reported in attendance during this same six weeks. The Preliminary 2021 Accelerated Testers Student Listings reflect which subject area the student is considered accelerated and if the student has a corresponding SAT or ACT on record.

The Final 2021 Accelerated Testers Student Listing will be released in March 2021 and will be updated to reflect accelerated testers reported by each district as enrolled in grade 12 for the 2020–21 PEIMS snapshot. The students included on the final listing will be evaluated as accelerated testers for 2021 accountability reports. 

As part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Plan 2021 Addendum, TEA has requested to delay the implementation of this requirement until August 2022. If that request is granted, TEA will begin the inclusion of accelerated testers’ SAT/ACT results with 2022 accountability.

Performance Level Cut Points 

SAT and/or ACT results for accelerated testers are included in STAAR components in the subject areas of English language arts (ELA)/reading, mathematics, and science at the standards provided below.

For Further Information

Additional information on the inclusion methodology for accelerated testers is available on the Performance Reporting Resources page. A July 30, 2020 To the Administrator Addressed letter provides further details on the approved ESSA accelerated testers waiver.

If you have questions about academic accountability, please contact the Performance Reporting Division at (512) 463-9704 or performance.reporting@tea.texas.gov. For questions about assessment requirements, please submit your questions via the Student Assessment HelpDesk.