Texas’ STAAR test will look different in 2023. Here’s everything to know about the changes.
A fourth-grader flips open her STAAR mathematics booklet to go over her answers during class at Heritage Elementary School in this March 2022 photo. The STAAR has been revamped for 2023, with fewer multiple-choice questions. New question types include short answers, number lines and plotting points on graphs.
Only 75 percent of a student’s score can be based on multiple-choice questions under a test revision mandated by the Legislature. The remainder must come from new question types, including short answers, number lines and plotting points on graphs. “Life is not multiple choice,” Pickett said. “I want my students to articulate and justify their answers not just choose a letter.”
Teachers likely will have to somewhat adjust their teaching to make sure students aren’t thrown off by the new questions come testing day, Horn said. “But there are formulas in the open response that good teachers will help their students understand, because taking and passing these exams is part of the expected learning experience in Texas.”The main push behind the legislation was to “streamline” the test, said state Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, who authored House Bill 3906.
Although this will be the first time online testing will be mandated statewide, it’s already been rolled out widely. In the spring of 2022, more than 80 percent of Texas students took the test online, according to TEA officials.In spring 2021, the TEA called technical issues with their testing vendor, Educational Testing Service, “completely unacceptable,” acknowledging log-in and test administration snags at the start of testing season.