Texas Formative Assessment Resource
The Texas Formative Assessment Resource (TFAR) is a free online platform that helps educators design, give, and share formative assessments. Formative assessment data is used to inform teaching decisions and improve instructional support. TFAR is an optional tool that is available at no cost to districts and open-enrollment charter schools and is not tied to accountability. To use TFAR, contact your Campus Testing Coordinator (CTC) or District Testing Coordinator (DTC) for access.
TFAR assessments should be combined with a broader set of classroom formative practices that are part of a coherent instructional framework. The assessments should not replace other ways of checking and monitoring student learning in the classroom.
What's New?
- A new user interface
- Updated Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE) accommodation settings
- New Test Delivery System (TDS) templates
- Editable Spanish Translation for all items
- New Centralized Reporting System (CRS) data reports with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) alignment-level data.
Why Educators Should Use TFAR
- Access released State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) items to create targeted formative assessments based on daily instruction.
- Create unique curriculum-based formative assessment items with STAAR item-type templates.
- Increase student confidence with the STAAR assessment platform.
- Increase student proficiency with STAAR accessibility tools and resources.
- Increase student comfort with online STAAR accommodations.
Training Materials
Interested in learning more about the TFAR platform and how it can help create and deliver high-quality assessments for students? There are a variety of training materials and resources to help get started with TFAR and make the most of its features.
These trainings are frequently requested and hosted for education service centers (ESCs) and districts, but TEA is always open to new ideas and suggestions for training:
TFAR New User Interface Update
- This is an overview of the New User Interface for TFAR for SY23–24. Changes and new enhancements to the platform will be highlighted. Leave with a deep understanding and how to use the new platform updates. (60 minutes)
Getting Started with TFAR
- This is an introduction to the new TFAR platform. Experience an actual TFAR assessment and how it was created. Leave feeling confident to create your own items and deliver the assessment to students. (90 minutes)
TFAR Item Deep Dive
- This is a concentrated look at the item templates within TFAR. Leave with a deeper understanding of how to navigate the item templates so that they provide the needed data in CRS. (60 minutes)
TFAR and CRS
- This is a step-by-step overview of the data reports generated from your TFAR assessments. Leave confident in your ability to produce the needed data reports for your TFAR assessments. (60 minutes)
Need a specific training/support not listed here? Contact the Student Assessment Help Desk!
These trainings are available within the Learning Management System (LMS) on TexasAssessment.gov.
- The Test Information Distribution Engine Overview
- The Centralized Reporting System Overview
- Texas Formative Assessment Resource (TFAR) Overview
- TFAR Authoring System
- Module 1: The Basics
- Module 2: Everything About Items
- Module 3: How to Add Images to Items
- Module 4: Everything About Tests
- Module 5: Share Tests and Items with Other Educators
- Module 6: How to Generate, Start, and Monitor a Test Session in TDS
- Module 7: How Educator-Authored Tests are Reported in CRS
