Beyond STAAR: Preparing for Texas’ Next Generation of Assessments

"Learning always occurs in a context of taking action, and they value engagement and experience as the most effective strategies for deep learning.” ― Richard DuFour

Preparing for the Next Wave of Assessments in Texas

Recently, the Texas Legislature delivered a bill to Governor Abbott’s desk that would abolish the STAAR exam and replace it with a system of assessments designed to measure student growth throughout the year based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). While the bill has not yet been signed, the conversation is already shifting toward what the next generation of assessments will look like—and, more importantly, how schools and districts can prepare.

Where Things Stand with House Bill 8

House Bill 8 (HB 8) has not yet been signed into law, but it is widely expected that it will be. Governor Abbott has identified this legislation as a top priority, and with final details about assessment design and funding being worked out, it is very likely to become law. Parents and educators alike have voiced strong support for a system that measures growth over time, rather than relying on a single, high-stakes exam at the end of the year.

This shift could give schools and districts the opportunity to adjust instruction throughout the year, while also providing faster feedback to teachers and families about student progress.

What Other States Are Doing

Texas is not alone in this effort. Other states have experimented with through-year assessment systems that could serve as models:

• Louisiana piloted “through-year assessments” in 2021, testing students in math and reading multiple times a year.

• Georgia retained its end-of-year summative exam but added GMAS Interim Assessments during the year. This approach doesn’t eliminate the final exam but supplements it with more official progress checks.

While Texas could choose either path, the structure of HB 8 suggests that our state is more likely to follow Louisiana’s model—multiple shorter assessments spread across the year, rather than keeping a single high-stakes test at the end.

Implications for Accountability

Currently, Texas’ A–F accountability system combines three main measures: overall student achievement, growth (both individual and relative to peer campuses), and performance of specific student groups. Moving to through-year assessments will likely distribute the weight of accountability across multiple data points.

Instead of waiting until summer to know how a campus performed, districts may receive more frequent “snapshots” of progress in near real time. While this may feel more balanced, it’s important to remember that accountability itself is not going away—it is simply being restructured. The exact details of how growth and achievement will be weighted are still to be determined and will be worth watching closely.

How Schools and Districts Can Prepare

If your campus is already building strong collaborative systems that prioritize teaching and learning, you are well-positioned for this transition. Schools where:

• Teachers work collaboratively to make instructional decisions,

• Principals provide ongoing feedback in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and coaching conversations, and

• Systems are aligned to both instructional and behavioral goals,

…will likely see benefits from this new assessment model.

If those systems are not yet in place, now is the time to begin. Although the new assessments are not scheduled to launch until the 2027–2028 school year, two years is not a long time to build the collaborative structures that support meaningful growth. While we are not advocates of “teaching to the test,” we believe that measuring student growth over time is a fairer and more accurate way to hold schools accountable.

Final Thought

If your school or district is still working to strengthen collaborative systems for teaching and learning, we can help. Our work with schools and districts across Texas has consistently shown that when educators work together with clarity and focus, student outcomes improve.

The next wave of assessment is coming—let’s be prepared for it.