The Birth of the STAAR Test

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Many parents are asking, what is the STAAR test? The Texas test is replacing the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS).

Texas Education Agency used to administer the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills or TAKS to assess the progress in academic performance of students. Later on, the agency realized the need for a better and more effective assessment tool. Thus, in 2012 the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness or STAAR Test was born.

There are many speculations regarding this new exam which education experts believe to be more reliable than the TAKS. There are many noticeable changes including the coverage of the exam, number of items, and how it will affect the overall rating of a student in a subject area.

According to experts, STAAR is more difficult though the coverage is more specific. For starters, the STAAR exam tests the progress of a student in 12 subject areas. These include core subjects under Mathematics, Social Studies, and English. In addition, students are required to write and submit two essays within the year based on a specific style for them to pass English.

Students are also more pressured in taking the STAAR Test. Aside from the time limit; they need to study harder because their scores in the test will contribute 15% of each of their final grade in their subject areas unlike with TAKS. This only means that graduating in high school and getting your diploma require hard work and good study habits.

The STAAR test may sound like a threat to graduating high school students but the fact is; the need to pass it serves as a drive for students to perform better in school and to take their studies more seriously. Besides, there’s really nothing to worry about because there are many STAAR test samples which students can use for their review.