After years of talking about replacing State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests, the state House on Tuesday okayed a bill that would set STAAR aside and open the way for new public school benchmark tests.
The bill passed the House 78-58, with Democrats expressing almost no support for the measure because they claim it would put too much power into the hands of the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
But now that it's passed, the bill goes to the state Senate, where it's likely to be adopted with a few changes.
A proposed plan for new tests to replace STAAR includes 3 yearly tests mandated by the state to be given early and mid-year in a specified number of grades.
Under the bill as it stands, the new testing standards would go into effect starting in the 2027-2028 school year.
STAAR exams started in 2011 as a way to simplify and broaden standards among Texas public schools but eventually came to be opposed by parents and teachers for putting additional pressure on students by emphasizing the importance of one or two tests per year, while also requiring some teachers to "teach to the test."