Optional Beginning-of-Year-Assessments
To provide educators with the data they need to develop appropriate instructional plans to address gaps in student learning, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will again offer optional BOY assessments during the 2021–22 school year.
The BOY assessments have been built using released STAAR test questions. While the optional BOY assessments will be administered in early fall 2021, they are designed to diagnose understanding of the TEKS from the previous school year. Therefore, the BOY assessments should be administered to students in grades 4–12, based on their prior year enrolled grade level or course. TEA will not use data from the BOY assessments for any accountability purposes.
What's New?
BOY assessments will be available in the fall of 2021 on Cambium's assessment platform.
Key Dates and Details for Fall 2021
| Key Dates | Details |
| July 30, 2021 | BOY assessment overview training video to be released |
| July 31-October 8, 2021 | Districts register students |
| August 16-October 15, 2021 | Test administration window |
Resources
Beginning-of-Year Assessments FAQs (PDF posted 7/22/21)
Data File Layout (PDF posted 7/28/21)
Courtesy At Home Testing Parent and Student Letter for District Use
TEA has created this resource as a courtesy. Districts may use this document to share with students or parents of students who are completing the Beginning-of-Year Assessments at home. The file includes both an English and a Spanish version of the letter.
Courtesy At Home Testing Parent and Student Letter (English and Spanish PDF posted 8/24/21)
Training
Please see the key dates and resources for training below.
- July 14, 2021 - Learning Management System (LMS) Live
- July 30, 2021 - BOY assessment overview training video posted on LMS
- September 10, 2021 - Centralized Reporting System (CRS) Live Webinar (Register on LMS)