STAAR FAQs 

General Questions

Q: Will STAAR be more difficult than the TAKS?
STAAR will be more rigorous because it will better aligned with college and career readiness standards and the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, which is the basis for the curriculum in Texas public schools.

Q: Will students have all day to take the test?
A significant change with STAAR is that it will have time limits.

Based on feedback received from school district personnel, the Texas Education Agency established a four-hour limit for the test although some tests will be taken over two days. The time limit will prepare students for other state and national assessments, which are usually timed.

The TEA will review the four-hour limit after the first administration of the tests in the spring to determine if the policy needs to be reconsidered or adjusted for specific grades or subjects.

Q: Will there be special accommodations for students in special education programs or who have different learning needs?

Extended time and other accommodations for students with unique learning needs or circumstances will continue to be offered.

Q: Will all high school students be taking the STAAR this year?
Only students who enter the ninth grade in the fall of 2011 will be taking the STAAR. Students who entered the ninth grade prior to the fall of 2011 or who are in 10th, 11th or 12th grades will continue to take the TAKS until they graduate.

Q: Will high school students take the same number of tests and in the same grades as they did TAKS?
The high school TAKS will be replaced by 12 end-of-course STAAR tests—English I-III, Algebra I and II, geometry, biology, chemistry, physics, world geography, world history, and U.S. history.

Q: Will students need to pass every test to be able to graduate?
To graduate with the minimum graduation plan, students will be required to have a minimum of accumulated points on the core subject tests: English language arts, social studies, math, and science.

To graduate with the recommended plan—which most four-year universities consider the minimum standard for acceptance—students have to perform satisfactorily on English III and Algebra II assessments.

Students who want to graduate with the distinguished achievement plan must perform at the college-readiness level on the Algebra II and English III tests.

Q: What will be the passing rate for STAAR?
The TEA will not determine passing standards for STAAR for all grades until after the first administration of the test this spring. High school students will be able to retake any of the STAAR tests to improve their scores, and students in grades five and eight will be able to retest in reading and math to meet promotion criteria in 2013.

Q: Why do high school students have to take more tests?
Another big difference between the TAKS and the STAAR at the high school level is that the new assessment will test the knowledge and skills students acquired that year and not material that was covered over multiple years.

Dallas ISD students have been taking end-of-course exams for some time to be better aligned with the goal of students being ready to enter college and the work force without having to take remedial courses, which is the goal of the STAAR.

Q: Will the teachers and other school personnel be prepared to administer the new test?
The district is providing staff development for teachers to help students meet the new challenge presented by the STAAR, which is designed to have students meet college readiness levels starting in third grade.

Q: Will the scores count this year for school ratings?

No, the scores from the results of the 2011-2012 assessments will not be used to rate schools. The ratings will remain the same as the previous year, but will change for the 2013-2014 school year. The ratings of exemplary, recognized, acceptable, and unacceptable for schools will not be used after the 2011-2012 school year.

Q: Where can I find more information about the STAAR?
The TEA is still working on some of the policies and other details regarding the administration of STAAR. Information can be found as it becomes available at www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/ or at www.dallasisd.org.

You can also visit http://curriculum.mydallasisdonline.org/mod/resource/view.php?id=5268.