Know What Your Students Learned

An early assessment tool helps educators identify and address learning gaps from the previous school year.

The optional Beginning of Year (BOY) Assessment measures student understanding of content taught last year—a valuable diagnostic tool for all students, especially those who were unable to take the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR^®) summative test last spring.

BOY test results are immediate and can help teachers and parents find out what kind of support a student needs to successfully transition to the next grade level. Fall 2021 BOY registration is open to districts through October 8. The testing administration window extends through October 15.

Monitor Progress All Year with Online Tools

TEA’s interim and formative assessment tools make a powerful pair for data-informed instruction.

Interim and formative assessments both support high-quality teaching and learning, but they each serve a different purpose. Interim assessments occur a couple of times throughout the school year and measure student performance against grade-level standards. They also help educators understand students' expected performance on the end-of-year summative assessment and identify which students may need more targeted supports. However, interim assessments are not intended to inform classroom-level adjustments. Formative assessments occur regularly and measure student performance on a more frequent basis. They are embedded within high-quality instructional materials. Teachers can use formative assessments to identify parts of upcoming lessons and units where students need increased practice and support.

TEA provides free, optional online tools not tied to accountability for interim and formative assessments:

• STAAR Interim Assessments are aligned to the TEKS and are used to identify targeted student supports and predict STAAR performance.
• Texas Formative Assessment Resource (TFAR) provides educators with a high-quality, TEKS-aligned item bank they can use to create and deliver quizzes, analyze results, and gain real-time feedback as learning occurs.

STAAR Gets a Redesign

Changes coming to STAAR in 2022–23 will strengthen alignment with classroom instruction.

Visit the TEA STAAR Redesign web page to learn more about four exciting changes coming to STAAR:

• New types of non-multiple-choice questions like the kind teachers ask in class will give students more opportunities to demonstrate full understanding.
• Nearly all tests will be administered online. (Students unable to access online tests due to a disability may still take the paper test.) Compared to paper, the online format provides faster test results and more robust accommodations for students who need them.
• Reading comprehension questions will reference topics that have been taught in other subjects.
• Stand-alone writing tests were eliminated, and writing now will be incorporated into reading language arts tests. This better supports the interconnected way reading and writing are taught.

Watch the STAAR Redesign Videos

Put Me to the Test Can you answer this real STAAR question?

Question #25—2019 STAAR Grade 5 Science

Unlike humans, otters have special flaps that close off their nostrils and ears. These flaps help otters survive in an environment that is:

A. terrestrial

B. snowy

C. windy

D. aquatic

Questions like this one are developed with teacher input to measure a student’s understanding of what they should learn in each grade or course.

Read to the end of this newsletter to find the answer.

If I Only Knew Hot Topics from the Assessment Help Desk

Q: Are students who fail STAAR still retained at the same grade level?

A: Recent legislation eliminated most Student Success Initiative (SSI) requirements, including the automatic retention requirement. Previously, students in grades 5 and 8 who failed the STAAR math or reading test had to be retained. The new requirements allow these students to be promoted to the next grade based on other performance criteria. However, school districts are responsible for providing the students and their parents with a plan for accelerated instruction. For more information, visit the TEA Accelerated Learning Resources page.

Q: What supports are available to students taking STAAR online?

A: Accessibility features and accommodations for online STAAR are similar to those available during classroom instruction. In addition to common tools such as highlighters, scratch paper, dictionaries, and color overlays, the online system also can provide additional content and language supports (e.g., scaffolded directions, assistance with tracking, graphic organizers, simplified language, passage pre-reads, graphic representations of vocabulary and concepts), spelling assistance, American sign language videos, and refreshable braille.

Have other questions?

Submit them to the TEA Student Assessment Help Desk.

Put Me to the Test Answer to Question #25—2019 STAAR Grade 5 Science

D. aquatic

Learn more about the STAAR and how teachers and parents can use it to influence effective teaching and help students reach their full potential.

Mark Your Calendar

December 7, 2021

The next round of STAAR tests begin with end-of-course (EOC) assessments for Algebra I, Biology, U.S. History, English I, and English II.