STAAR Redesign Resources and Opportunities for Feedback

The purpose of this correspondence is to inform superintendents, district and campus administrators, and teachers about updated resources related to the redesign of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) that will be implemented in the 2022–23 school year. 

STAAR Redesign 

Several requirements of House Bill (HB) 3906, adopted by the 86th Texas Legislature in 2019, are influencing a redesign of STAAR that will be implemented in the 2022–23 school year. This redesign will include several components: 

• Potentially transitioning to online assessments for faster test results (pending new legislation) 
• Capping the number of multiple-choice questions at 75% and adding new item types 
• Eliminating standalone writing assessments for grades 4 and 7, beginning with the 2021–22 school year, and adding writing to reading language arts (RLA) assessments in grades 3–8 
• Incorporating more cross-curricular passages into RLA assessments 

The Assessment Initiatives webpage includes updates on HB 3906 initiatives, new video overviews of the different components of the STAAR redesign, and more information on redesign timelines. 

New Item Types 

One of the components of HB 3906 requires that by the 2022–23 school year no more than 75% of any STAAR test be presented in a multiple-choice format. To meet this requirement, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has engaged the Educator Advisory Committee, established by HB 3906, to provide the agency with guidance from experts in curriculum and instruction, higher education, and school leadership, as well as from individuals with experience supporting special populations. In addition, the agency also has been working with teachers to identify potential new item types by subject for use on STAAR tests. Sample new item types have been posted. All educators are encouraged to review the proposed new item types and provide their feedback using this survey link. Feedback may include, but is not limited to, suggestions on how to make the directions for an item type clearer, at which grade levels each item type would be appropriate, any concerns or difficulty interacting with an item type, or other comments. 

Educator input and feedback is an important component in developing an effective summative assessment that serves all Texas students equitably. TEA continues to seek interested teachers, instructional coaches, campus and district content specialists, and campus administrators to serve on a variety of assessment-related committees and participate in focus groups. To apply for participation in these committees, educators should complete the Educator Committee Application Form. 

For questions regarding any of the HB 3906 initiatives, please contact TEA using the Student Assessment Division Help Desk.

Student Assessment Division 
Office of School Programs 
(512) 463-9536 
studentassessment@tea.texas.gov 
TEA.Texas.gov/student-assessment 
Student Assessment Help Desk