After ongoing debates over whether the STAAR test should be removed as a requirement for Texas students, it appears the test will remain.

The Texas Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability—an education commission formed in 2015 and tasked with providing recommendations to Gov. Greg Abbott on statewide education issues—considered recommending the replacement of the STAAR test with a series of smaller computerized tests that would be administered over the course of the year.

In a July 27 meeting, commissioners opted to recommend supplemental computerized testing instead as a method to provide feedback to teachers as opposed to a replacement for STAAR. The computerized tests would not be considered standardized tests or affect a student’s ability to advance.

In a 9-1 vote with five members absent, the commission approved an updated draft of recommendations. It submitted a list of recommendations, curated over the past year and a half, to Abbott on Sept. 1. Recommendations are not binding.

During the July 27 meeting, several commissioners acknowledged that a large portion of Texas schools would not have the technology necessary to replace STAAR with digital exams. Commissioners also hesitated to add days unnecessarily for testing to Texas schools’ schedules.

“The main issue is not with the STAAR exam itself but rather the time taken away from instruction to prepare and administer the exams,” said Jennifer Cobb, Spring ISD assistant superintendent for research, accountability and testing. “The accountability attached to the exams requires districts to spend a disproportionate amount of time focusing on the test because school ratings—including state and federal sanctions due to low performance—and funding are impacted by test performance.”

Cobb said the STAAR exams are helpful in measuring student growth and in comparing data between schools in the district and statewide, but other tests would provide reasonable alternatives.

“At the high school level, exams such as the SAT, ACT or Texas Success Initiative (TSI) assessment would be good alternatives, since these are necessary already for students to advance to post-secondary studies,” Cobb said

The Iowa Test of Basic Skills or Stanford Achievement Test Series also would provide a good gauge of student knowledge, Cobb said.

Jenny McGown, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning at Klein ISD, said she believes it is time for the state-mandated assessment system to evolve.

“We need assessments which are tools to guide student learning within the school year,” McGown said. “Assessments should be short probes to gauge whether students have mastered certain skills.”

KISD elementary campuses administer a computer-adaptive assessment three times a year, and the data collected is used to create individualized learning plans for students, McGown said.

However, computer-based assessments on a wide scale require specific technological capabilities, McGown said.

“A survey of all districts will have to be conducted, ensuring district as well as campus networks are capable of supporting an assessment offered only online,” she said.

The commission’s full report and video footage of the July 27 meeting can be downloaded on the Texas Education Agency website.