STAAR General Information

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• Performance standards for STAAR to be phased in

  Click here to read more about STAAR Performance Standards >>
  

• What do you need to know about STAAR?

  • STAAR is more rigorous than TAKS. 
  • Questions are more complex and require more thinking 
  • What is most important for a student to learn in a grade level will have more questions on the test 
  • Students have to get more items correct than on TAKS
  • Most students have 4 hours* to complete STAAR  
  • Began in the 2011-2012 school year
  • Grades 3-8 
  • First year 9th graders 
  • 10th & 11th graders will still take TAKS 

  Students with IEPs or accommodation plans would be exempt from the 4-hour time limit and receive extended time, based on recommendations from ARD committees.

  
  

• What tests will students have to take?

  GRADES: 3-8	High School COURSES
  Reading: 3-8	Math	English	Science	Social Studies
  Math: 3-8	Algebra I	ENG I	Biology	World Geography
  Writing: 4 & 7	Geometry	ENG II	Chemistry	World History
  Science: 5 & 8	Algebra II	ENG III	Physics	U.S. History
  Social Studies: 8	The high school level STAAR tests are End of  COURSE (EOC) exams, NOT grade level tests

• What is the difference between TAKS & STAAR?

  
  

  	Subject	TAKS	STAAR
  Campus/District Ratings		Exemplary Recognized Acceptable Unacceptable	Acceptable Unacceptable
  Testing Criteria		Grade Level Course Work	Individual Course Work
  Time Allowed to Complete the Test		Until Complete	4 Hour Time Limit*
  # Questions on Test	Math	Grade 3: 40 Questions Grade 4: 42 Questions Grade 5: 44 Questions Grade 6: 46 Questions Grade 7: 48 Questions Grade 8: 50 Questions	Grade 3: 46 Questions Grade 4: 48 Questions Grade 5: 50 Questions Grade 6: 52 Questions Grade 7: 54 Questions Grade 8: 56 Questions
  	Reading	Grade 3: 36 Questions Grade 4: 40 Questions Grade 5: 42 Questions Grade 6: 42 Questions Grade 7: 48 Questions Grade 8: 48 Questions	Grade 3: 40 Questions Grade 4: 44 Questions Grade 5: 46 Questions Grade 6: 46 Questions Grade 7: 52 Questions Grade 8: 52 Questions
  	Writing	Grade 4: 28 multiple-choice items 1 writing prompt Grade 7: 40 multiple-choice items 1 writing prompt	Grade 4: 28 multiple-choice items 2 writing prompts Grade 7: 40 multiple-choice items 2 writing prompts
  	Science	Grade 5: 40 Questions Grade 8: 50 Questions	Grade 5: 44 Questions Grade 8: 54 Questions
  	Social Studies	Grade 8: 48 Questions	Grade 8: 50 Questions
  Academic Performance		Commended Met Not Met	Advanced Satisfactory Unsatisfactory
  * Students with IEPs or accommodation plans would be exempt from the 4-hour time limit and receive extended time, based on recommendations from ARD committees.