State announces changes for STAAR exam results for 2015-2016
On Friday, Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath announced significant changes to June STAAR testing for students in fifth and eighth-grade. In a letter to district administrators across the State, Morath said: "As a result of ongoing reporting issues with our testing vendor, we will be removing student consequences attached to STAAR testing for grades 5 and 8 for the remainder of the 2015-2016 assessment cycle."
While the State will not administer any STAAR exams in June as a result of this decision, Commissioner Morath did ask school districts to use local discretion to determine if a student who failed the STAAR exam may advance to the next grade level. There is not one determining factor in this decision; however, successful completion of the Student Success Initiative or STAAR Academy will help inform the decision of grade placement.
Regardless of the State's ruling, the district will continue to provide accelerated instruction this summer in order to prepare students for advancement prior to the 2016-2017 school year.
To read the full letter from Commissioner Morath, click here.