The State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests are an array of high stakes, multi-hour exams in math, reading, writing, history and science. They feed into the A through F campus ratings, which should also be abolished.
The STAAR tests are heavily weighted against poor kids, who tend to do worse on such exams than do middle class students. between test scores and poverty is clear: The more poor kids you have, the harder it is to get good school-wide test scores. Schools that have high mobility rates — a greater number of students moving in and out — also struggle to post high test scores.
There are other ways to provide school accountability without excessive testing. For decades, private schools in grades one through eight have administered tests including the Iowa Assessments or the Stanford Achievement Test. These quick assessments give analyses of student learning in reading, math, vocabulary, science and social studies, and these tests last just a few hours a day over three or four days. Reports are generated showing student performance and how he/she compares to all students around the country taking the same test. Results are sent to parents, who are invited to meet to discuss their child’s progress. Staff also get a picture of what areas their school is excelling in and where it may wish to put more emphasis.
Texas is spending at least $90 million per year on STAAR testing, money that could be better used to pay districts to give assessments such as the Iowa or Stanford Achievement tests.
The time has come to abolish STAAR tests and individual campus ratings. They serve little good while draining millions of hours of instructional time spent teaching to the STAAR tests. Further, they discourage hard working staff and students in many schools, and unfairly embarrass many campuses that are working hard and smart as they serve poor kids.