Staar Trek The Next Generation STAAR Trek: The Next Generation
Test Design
Slide 3
This Years Mantra will be Flexibility What we know as of
9/1/2011 Subject to change
Slide 4
State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) STAAR
will focus on clearer, fewer, and deeper. Provide a more clearly
articulated assessment program Focus on fewer skills Address skills
in a deeper manner
Slide 5
Implemented in 2011-2012 School Year STAAR Assessments for
Grades 3-8 3-8 mathematics 3-8 reading 4 and 7 writing 5 and 8
science 8 social studies
Slide 6
State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Begins
with the 20112012 school year. The new test design will focus on
readiness for success in subsequent grades or courses and,
ultimately, for college and career. Grades 3 8 tests are in same
grades and subjects as TAKS (Grade 3 will answer on answer
documents, not in test booklets) At high school 12 end-of-course
assessments rather than a grade-specific test (grade 11) covering
four subject areas 5
Slide 7
STAAR Readiness and Supporting Standards 6 Readiness Standards
Encompass 3040% of the eligible TEKS Will make up 6065% of the
assessment Supporting Standards Encompass 6070% of the eligible
TEKS Will make up 3540% of the assessment
Slide 8
STAAR 7
Slide 9
STAAR Readiness Standards In general, Readiness Standards Are
essential for success in the current grade or course Are important
for preparedness for the next grade or course Support college and
career readiness Necessitate in-depth instruction Address broad and
deep ideas
Slide 10
STAAR Supporting Standards In general, Supporting Standards May
be introduced in the current grade or course and emphasized in a
subsequent year. May be emphasized in a previous year and
reinforced in the current grade or course. May play a role in
preparing students for the next grade or course but not a central
role. May address more narrowly defined ideas.
Slide 11
STAAR Blueprints 10 Physics Blueprint
Slide 12
STAAR Policies Previously Communicated Testing policies that
have been communicated 4-hour time limit Make-up testing
Assessments that require dictionaries and calculators Embedded and
perforated reference materials Scorable grade 3 answer documents
Dyslexia accommodations to include students in grade 3 through high
school, but TEA has not finalized the policies yet
Slide 13
STAAR Policies to be Discussed Testing policies still being
discussed Testing requirements for all students Accommodations Test
release plan Substitute assessments
Slide 14
STAAR End-of-Course High School Assessments English I, English
II, English III Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II Biology, Chemistry,
Physics World Geography, World History, U.S. History Starts in
2011-2012 School Year With Entering 9 th Graders
Slide 15
STAAR grades 3-8 assessments will be administered on paper
only; STAAR EOC assessments will be offered in both online and
paper formats. TEA has adopted a four-hour testing limit on STAAR
assessments in order to align Texas testing policies with other
state and national assessments and better prepare students for
timed tests such as SAT, ACT, and AP. The overall field-test burden
of STAAR on students and school districts has been significantly
reduced from that of TAKS through the embedding of field test items
whenever possible beginning with operational assessments in 2012;
although, TEA has said some sampling of upper level EOC will be
done on a limited basis in spring 2012. 14 Design Differences
Slide 16
STAAR grade 4 & 7 writing assessments will be administered
over two days, as will EOC English reading and writing, with the
writing component on day one and the reading component on day two.
Students will now be required to write two essays instead of one
like was required with TAKS. 15 Design Differences
Slide 17
Four Hour time limit Four hours means four hours. Excluding the
lunch break, the clock doesnt stop for breaks. Students may take
breaks, but breaks will take away from testing time. Teachers
should work on less time consuming test-taking strategies. Students
who qualify will be able to receive extended time, which means
having the full day to test, not two days. TEA strongly recommends
that all testing be finished prior to or after taking a lunch
break.
Slide 18
Special Populations As with the current modified assessments,
the STAAR Modified assessments will cover the same content as the
general STAAR assessments, but will be modified in format and test
design. Modified assessments will be developed for all content
areas for grades 3-8 that are part of the general STAAR program and
for nine of the twelve STAAR EOC assessments. Modified assessments
are not being developed for Algebra II, chemistry, or physics. The
new STAAR Modified assessments will reflect the same increased
rigor and focus of the general assessments and now will include
more rigorous item types. 17
Slide 19
STAAR Alternate STAAR Alternate will be fully operational in
2011- 12. TAKS-Alt will no longer exist. STAAR Alternate
assessments will reflect the same increased rigor and focus of the
general and modified assessments. STAAR Alternate high school
assessments will be developed for Algebra I, geometry, biology,
English I, English II, English III, world geography, world history,
and U.S. history.
Slide 20
Special Populations The STAAR Alternate assessments will be
very similar in design to the current TAKS-Alt assessments.
Students will continue to perform standardized assessment tasks
linked to the grade- level TEKS that measure student progress on
skills aligned with the academic grade-level content standards.
However, STAAR Alternate will incorporate a vertical alignment in
the programs assessment tasks, and the high school assessments will
move from grade-level assessments to course- based assessments. The
new STAAR Alternate assessments will reflect the same increased
rigor and focus of the general and modified assessments. 19
Slide 21
Special Populations There will not be a separate accommodated
form of the STAAR test. Students who qualify will still be able to
use approved accommodations on the regular STAAR test. All STAAR
tests will have accommodated-like features including the Verdana
font and more white space. Students receiving special
accommodations will now take a longer version of the test since
they will be required to take the regular version of STAAR with
imbedded field test items.
Slide 22
STAAR Graduation Requirements Graduation Requirements Freshman
class of 20112012 is first group to have EOC assessments as part of
their graduation requirement. All 12 EOC assessments will be
available in 2011 2012 in both paper and online modes for these
students.
Slide 23
STAAR Resources Resources available Assessed curriculum
Assessment blueprints Description of the new assessment model
Comparison between TAKS and STAAR Performance labels and policy
definitions Reference materials Test designs Scoring rubrics
Griddable item format Resources still to comesample items
Slide 24
STAAR Resources 23 Posted on the TEA student assessment website
at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/
