No more STAAR tests? That’s what this Texas legislator’s bill proposes.

Austin, Texas. On Wednesday, a Texas state legislator filed a bill aimed at replacing the Texas State Academic Readiness Assessment (STAAR) test in schools.

State Rep. Matt Shaheen (R-TX), who represents Collin County in District 66, announced Wednesday that he is filing House Bill 680 because he is “concerned about the accuracy and validity of STAAR tests following a review of the study by the Centers for Disease Prevention Meadows. Educational Risk at the University of Texas at Austin.”

According to Shaheen, the study states, “Because we are unsure of these results, we were forced to conclude that a reliable element readability analysis for this report is not possible.”

“If changing the way we test our students helps maximize students’ academic potential rather than reduce responsibility, I’m willing to fight for an innovative replacement for STAAR, which is why I’ve filed House Bill 680,” Shaheen told the press. release.

Shaheen said he formed an advisory group of participants from different educational backgrounds to explore a more efficient form of testing that accurately shows whether students score above or below their grade level.

The committee believes that testing students will provide more accurate assessments by tailoring the content of the test to the level of knowledge of each student. They added that “by shifting to an adaptive form of assessment, we can accurately measure student achievement, college readiness and growth.”

“I am determined to correct the course of this floundering accountability system for the future of our children and the Lone Star State. I was elected to make decisions in the interests of my constituents, including our children,” Shaheen said.

In August 2022, for the first time since the start of the COVID pandemic, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) released its accountability rankings for school districts and individual state campuses. According to TEA, he showed progress in catching up with students.

Here’s a breakdown of how counties work across the state.

In November 2022, a report from the advocacy group suggested that Texas lawmakers not focus on the STAAR test and consider other factors when evaluating student and school performance.

Raise Your Hand Texas told KVUE that by not relying solely on STAAR to measure performance, a huge burden could be removed from students. It will also give teachers more freedom.