Assessments

Grades 3-8 Assessments

• Allows for the possibility of using technology on all math assessments, but provides the State Board of Education with authority to designate specific sections of a math assessment for any grade level as a section that must be completed without the aid of technology

• Subject to federal law and only if the assessment instrument remains valid and reliable:
  

  • No assessment instrument may have more than three parts
    

    • Each part of an assessment instrument for grades 3 and 4 must be designed so that 85% of students can complete that part within 60 minutes

    • Each part of an assessment instrument for grades 5-8 must be designed so that 85% of students can complete that part within 75 minutes

  • Allows assessments to be administered in multiple parts over more than one day

• Classroom portfolio method to assess writing is exempt from the above requirements

• No assessment may be given to kindergarten students for accountability purposes

• Prohibits the administration of assessment instruments on Mondays

• Eliminates requirement that assessment instruments be administered after a certain date

• Assessment instruments may not present more than 75% of questions in multiple choice format (effective for the 2022-2023 school year)

• Eliminates writing from assessment requirements (effective September 1, 2021)

High School EOCs

• Allows for the Algebra I assessment to include portions that prohibit the use of technology

• Allows EOCs to be administered in multiple parts over more than one day

• Prohibits the administration of EOCs on Mondays

• Eliminates requirement that EOCs be administered no earlier than the first full week in May

• EOCs may not present more than 75% of questions in multiple choice format (effective for the 2022-2023 school year)

Electronic Administration

• All assessments and EOCs must be capable of being administered electronically

• TEA and SBE must develop a transition plan to electronically administer all assessment instruments and EOCs by the 2022-2023 school year

• TEA must submit a report on the transition plan to the legislature by 12/1/2020; report must include:

  • Information from school districts assessing the needs in transitioning to electronic administration

  • Recommended changes to state law to assist in the transition

  • Recommended timeline for statewide implementation of electronic administration

• Transition plan must be implemented beginning on 9/1/2021

Formative Assessment Pilot Program

• Requires TEA to establish a pilot program in which participating school districts administer integrated formative assessment instruments 

• Any school district may choose to participate, but school districts must continue administering STAAR and EOCs

• Each even-numbered year, TEA must submit a report to the legislature including an analysis of whether integrated formative assessments provide improvement in instructional support and a determination of the feasibility of replacing STAAR and EOCs with formative assessment instruments