Texas school children never have to worry about TAKS again. They don't have to worry about being taught to a test, or not moving on to the next grade if they don't pass that end of course exam, or..... oh wait, yeah they will.
The Texas Education Agency announced that the much maligned TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) testing system is dead and is being replaced by STAAR (State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness). The TX Legislature mandated that TAKS be replaced beginning in the 2010-2011 school year, and the state has followed through.
But what exactly is it being replaced with? The new STAAR includes 12 end of course exams in 4 core subject areas in high school. New tests for 3rd through 8th grades are under development. The current 7th graders will be the first to take the new end of course exam under STAAR, which coincidentally they have to pass in order to move on to 8th grade. This sounds like the same thing TAKS required. Pass the test or you don't move on. So in order to pass the test, teachers taught to the test. TAKS also had a school rating system. STAAR will also have a school rating system, but not until 2013 at the earliest.
Unless there are substantial changes in the testing system, or allowing teachers to actually be teachers and not "test instructors", then STAAR is just a prettier name in a repackaged brand for TAKS.
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