Gov. Greg Abbott office—
AUSTIN—Gov. Greg Abbott’s office announced last week that grade promotion requirements related to the STAAR test will be waived for students in fifth and eighth grade in 2020-21.
Currently, school systems must take into account a student’s score on the STAAR test to determine whether the student can be promoted to the next grade level, and fifth- and eighth-graders must retake the test if they don’t meet grade level.
The waiver announced Monday requires only one administration of the STAAR in 2020-21 for math and reading in fifth
and eighth grades.
The test will be administered in May to coincide with other third through eighth grade STAAR tests. The traditional A-F rating system
will remain in place but with certain adjustments due to COVID-19.
Abbott said the waiver is meant to help overcome disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “By waiving these promotion
requirements, we are providing greater flexibility for students and teachers, while at the same time ensuring that Texas students continue
to receive a great education — which we will continue to measure with high-quality assessments.” While the state won’t use the test to determine promotions, it will provide necessary assessment data and keep schools accountable for learning, Texas lawmakers added in the news release.
