AUSTIN – Commissioner of Education Mike Morath has announced that Texas parents will now have access to greater individualized student information with the launch of the new State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) Report Card.

In addition, a new interactive website will offer an opportunity for parents to “Log In, Learn More” to access additional student-specific resources. Among the available tools on the website will be the ability to view actual STAAR questions as well as their student’s answer. Texas will be among the first states in the nation to offer this valuable component to all its parents.

“Every parent needs to know how their child is doing in school, but they also want to be in position to provide greater support for their son or daughter,” said Commissioner Morath. “The STAAR Report Card goes beyond providing a student’s information from the previous year. It also gives every parent access to resources that can help their child as they move from grade level to grade level.” 

The new report card contrasts dramatically from what has been shared in previous years with parents. The revamped report presents information in a more colorful, understandable and parent-friendly way. 

Student information includes how a child performed on a specific STAAR assessment, how the student is progressing from the previous school year, and the level of reading difficulty a student can successfully accomplish. Parents will also see new STAAR performance labels for their student: Masters Grade Level; Meets Grade Level; Approaches Grade Level; and Does Not Meet Grade Level. 

• Masters Grade Level (Passing) – Performance in this category indicates that students are expected to succeed in the next grade or course with little or no academic intervention.
• Meets Grade Level (Passing) – Performance in this category indicates that students will have a high likelihood of success in the next grade or course but may still need some short-term, targeted academic intervention.
• Approaches Grade Level (Passing) – Performance in this category indicates that students are likely to succeed in the next grade or course with targeted academic intervention. 
• Does Not Meet Grade Level – Performance in this category indicates that students are unlikely to succeed in the next grade or course without significant, ongoing academic intervention. 

A section of the new STAAR Report Card highlights how a student has progressed academically from the previous year. A student academic growth graph will show parents where their son or daughter was academically the previous school year and reflect any growth seen in the most recent school year.

Beyond the report card itself, parents are encouraged to “Log In, Learn More” at a newly-revamped website (www.texasassessment.com) to see even more student-specific information regarding their child. With a student-specific access code (provided in the STAAR Report Card), parents will be able to see a variety of resources and assessment components, including STAAR assessment questions and answers – along with their child’s answers. 

“The ability for each parent to view the actual STAAR questions posed to their child, along with the answers their child provided, should provide greater insight into the expectations at every grade level,” said Commissioner Morath.

The website also makes available resources designed to help parents prepare their son or daughter as they progress from grade level to grade level. Resources include tools to support a child’s ability to read and write, as well as tips and questions to help prepare for parent-teacher conferences in the new school year.

Beginning this month, the new STAAR Report Card will be distributed to parents with children who took the STAAR assessments during the 2016-2017 school year. High school STAAR reports are available to parents beginning June 13. Grade 3-8 STAAR reports are available to parents beginning June 30.

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