Texas Formative Assessment Resource
The Texas Formative Assessment Resource (TFAR) is an optional online formative assessment tool designed to inform teaching decisions and improve instructional supports. TFAR aligns to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), is available at no cost to districts and open-enrollment charter schools, and is not tied to accountability.
TFAR allows educators to create formative assessments by writing or selecting items from an item bank. Educators will be able to analyze the results of these formative assessments to help inform instructional choices such as making immediate lesson plan adjustments or providing specific interventions for students at the level of individual standards.
TFAR is meant to supplement and support existing district resources and formative assessment practices. Quizzes built using this tool should be combined with a broader set of classroom formative practices that are part of a coherent instructional framework.
What's New?
TEA will continue to offer TFAR during the 2021–2022 school year and will host TFAR on the same platform as STAAR and STAAR Interim Assessments.
Key Dates
Dates | Actions |
July 31, 2021 |
Registration is open |
Early September, 2021-End of school year |
Educators use TFAR to create, share, and administer formative assessments |
Resources
TFAR Educator Guide with FAQs (PDF posted 9/17/21)
TFAR Authoring System (external link)
Training Materials
Please see the dates and training details below.
- July 14, 2021 - Learning Management System (LMS) Live
- September 10, 2021 - Centralized Reporting System (CRS) Live Webinar (Register on LMS)
- October 1, 2021 - Educator Training Modules on LMS as a downloadable PDF
- October 8, 2021 - Educator Training Modules on LMS as interactive modules
Have questions? Submit them to the Student Assessment HelpDesk!
Campuses or districts that want to share resources created in-house related to TFAR can send those to: studentassessment@tea.texas.gov
Resources shared will be available on this page for other districts to access and use.