In Texas, the STAAR test is replacing the TAKS test, but the Texas Education Agency argued that the scores were not comparable, and so asked for a one-year waiver from “No Child Left Behind.” The federal waiver was denied, so the TEA recently ordered a “bridge study” to convert scores from the more-demanding STAAR exams. Now comparisons can be made to last year’s TAKS scores:
“There has been a lot of talk of declining scores” under the STAAR test, TEA spokeswoman DeEtta Culbertson said. “But we see that in some of the areas the scores went up. For the most part (the study) shows that schools are continuing to make good academic progress.”
“Study may ease concerns prompted by STAAR pass rates”, Maria Luisa Cesar, San Antonio Express-News, July 5, 2012.
