A student's score on the STAAR test will not be used to determine whether they advance to the next grade level during the 2020-21 school year, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday.
In a typical school year, school districts must consider a student's mark on the standardized test when determining whether or not to promote them to the following grade level. This school year, the traditional A through F grading system will determine a student's advancement.
Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath told NBC 5 on July 17 this would likely be the decision.
"Parents deserve to know how well their children have learned grade-level knowledge and skills in reading and math, especially in a time when education has been substantially disrupted," Morath said in a statement Monday. "And educators use this valuable information to make adjustments to support students the following year. But there is no benefit to our children by requiring them to repeat a year based on a single test score given the disruptions of COVID, so we are waiving the grade promotion requirements from STAAR this year for our students."
The STAAR test will be still be administered in 2020-21, but all students in grades three through eight will take it in the same time frame.
"As always, our goal is to provide a high-quality education for every Texas student," Abbott said in a statement."This will be a uniquely challenging school year, therefore, this year is about providing students every opportunity to overcome the disruptions caused by COVID-19. By waiving these promotion requirements, we are providing greater flexibility for students and teachers, while at the same time ensuring that Texas students continue to receive a great education -- which we will continue to measure with high-quality assessments."
