No matter whether its TAKS or STAAR, there is an elephant in the schoolyard on Texas testing – and that is student performance. To quote a well-writtten op-ed piece in Houston Chronicle’s Sunday Outlook Section, “in general, the percentage of students passing is high and continues to rise. But passing isn’t good enough.
…students who simply pass the exams are not ready for the next level of study. Just passing third grade reading does not make you ready to move to fourth grade reading; just passing ninth grade math does not mean you will be successful in 10th grade math.
Lots of parents and students didn’t know this under TAKS, and they still don’t know it under STAAR. So what does predict readiness? in the TAKS system, students had to score a higher number of correct answers and earn a performance level called ‘commended.’ In the new STAAR system, this higher level is called ‘advanced.'” Let’s get the word out and get our students prepared for meaningful futures. If you want more information the not-for-profit Houston A+ Challenge is a great place to start!
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