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The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) Alternate 2 is an alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards. It is a standardized item-based assessment administered individually to eligible students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who are receiving special education services. STAAR Alternate 2 fulfills the requirements of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the Every Student Succeeds Act.  

STAAR Alternate 2 is a paper assessment in mathematics, reading language arts (RLA), science, and social studies for students in grades 3–8 and high school.

Who Is Tested?

A student's admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee must determine if the student meets the participation requirements for STAAR Alternate 2. All students enrolled in Texas public schools and open-enrollment charter schools in grades 3–12 who meet the participation requirements are required to participate in STAAR Alternate 2 at their enrolled grade level or course.

If an ARD committee determines that a student meets the eligibility criteria for "No Authentic Academic Response" (NAAR) or a "Medical Exception," the student will not be required to participate in STAAR Alternate 2.  

What Is Tested?

The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Vertical Alignment documents provide a complete listing of the TEKS curriculum from pre-kindergarten through end-of-course (EOC). These documents provide a total overview of the knowledge and skills statements and align student expectations across the grades. The student expectations provide access points to the general education curriculum by serving as prerequisite skills for STAAR Alternate 2.  

In addition to the prerequisite skills, there are specific terms that students will need exposure to during instruction. This list does not encompass all of the curriculum a student would be responsible for; it is a unique list of instructional terms developed by educator teams. Students need to become familiar with these terms as the student is developmentally able to comprehend the content. Students in higher grades need to also know the terms presented in earlier grades.

What Do Test Questions Look Like?

Access released test questions at STAAR Alternate 2 Released Test Questions.

What Is Reported?

What Other Information Is Available?

Test Administration

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