Despite a school year turned upside down by the coronavirus, standardized testing in Texas will go on.
A few things will be different for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, however. Grade promotion requirements have been waived for students in grades five and eight, although high school seniors still must pass the exams to graduate. And the Texas Education Agency will not grade districts based on the results.
Many other things will be the same, including a requirement that students take the test in person, even if they have been learning remotely during the pandemic.
The testing plan has its critics. Democrats in the Texas House renewed calls Wednesday to cancel the testing this year, saying that the STAAR test does not provide an accurate picture of how students and schools are performing.