April 2, 2021

To the Superintendent Addressed:

This correspondence is to notify you that the Final 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 Final 2021 Accelerated Testers Student Listing if they were reported as enrolled in grade 12 for the 2020–21 PEIMS snapshot. Students are attributed to the district/campus at which they were reported for snapshot. The Final 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. Results as of May 2020 (2019–20, 2018–19, and 2017–18 school years) are included. The 2021 accountability calculations will include results through May 2021, and the August STAAR student listings released in TEAL Accountability will include these additional results.

The students included on the final listing will be evaluated as accelerated testers for 2021 accountability reports. TEA requested to delay the implementation of this requirement until August 2022 as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Plan 2021 Addendum; however, this request has not been approved. Accelerated testers will be included in 2021 accountability data; participation rates will not affect the Academic Achievement indicator.

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.

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.