Some Texas parents want the state to tap the brakes on the STAAR standarized tests.
Round Rock Attorney Scott Placek represents Texas Opt Out Parents and says the STAAR test is not a valid assessment of students and the high-stakes component doesn’t help, which means, “You use the assessment results in a punitive type of manner. Such as saying ‘student, you aren’t going to be promoted’, or ‘school, you’re going to have your funding cut.’”
Placek says while some critics call STAAR a corrupt test, he simply calls it invalid. “STAAR is a fairly accurate predictor of two things, which is, the income level of the person taking it and whether that person happens to be good at taking standardized tests.” Placek says parents can opt-out of the STAAR test as districts can promote students through other means.
Kids who take the STAAR test aren’t doing themselves any favors when they get to college. Texas Opt Out Parents,wants the STAAR test replaced with a better assessment tool. Placek says there’s one concrete example of how the test fails students. “These kids don’t know how to write the standard five paragraph essay!” He says remedial course enrollments for college freshmen are at an all-time high. “Why is that? Because to pass STAAR, you write a 26-line essay that has to stay within a box.” Placek continues, “That’s not realistic. That’s not what students need to learn in terms of writing. Placek says lawmakers should support a bill that puts a two year moratorium on STAAR testing to examine its validity.
