FAQ

The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®), STAAR Alternate 2, and Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) assessments are required by state law to be offered by school systems. State law also requires that students enrolled in Texas public school districts or open-enrollment charter schools, including virtual schools, take the assessments. Refer to Texas Education Code (TEC) §39.023 and §39.027. 

Additionally, STAAR, STAAR Alternate 2, TELPAS, and TELPAS Alternate fulfill federal assessment and accountability requirements as established in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Federal law requires that all students be assessed in mathematics and reading or language arts annually in grades 3-8 and once in high school. Refer to ESSA Section §1111(b)(2)(B). Federal law also requires emergent bilingual (EB) students to be assessed annually in English language proficiency. 

More information on these requirements is available in the State and Federal Required Tests Fact Sheet. 

STAAR is a standardized academic achievement test designed to measure the extent to which a student has learned and is able to apply the defined knowledge and skills in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) at each tested grade, subject, and course. Every STAAR question is directly aligned to the TEKS currently being assessed.

STAAR helps to ensure that Texas students are competitive with other students both nationally and internationally. Another important function of STAAR is gauging how well schools and teachers prepare their students academically. In addition, STAAR fulfills the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which requires that all students be assessed annually in mathematics and reading language arts (RLA) in grades 3-8 and at least once in high school, as well as in science at least once in elementary, middle, and high school. 

STAAR includes:

• grades 3-8 mathematics,
• grades 3-8 RLA,
• grades 5 and 8 science,
• grade 8 social studies,
• end-of-course (EOC) assessments for:
  • Algebra 1,
  • Biology,
  • English 1,
  • English 2, and
  • U.S. History, and
• Spanish assessments for:
  • grades 3-5 mathematics,
  • grades 3-5 RLA, and
  • grade 5 science.

STAAR Alternate 2 is a standardized alternate academic achievement assessment based on alternate achievement standards. It is designed to measure the extent to which a student has learned and is able to apply the defined knowledge and skills in the TEKS. STAAR Alternate 2 is administered individually to students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who meet the participation requirements. STAAR Alternate 2 fulfills ESSA and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). ESSA requires that all students be assessed specific grades and subjects throughout their academic careers, whereas IDEA requires that students with disabilities have access to the same standards as their nondisabled peers and they be included in statewide assessments. 

STAAR Alternate 2 includes:

• grades 3-8 mathematics,
• grades 3-8 RLA, 
• grades 5 and 8 science,
• grade 8 social studies, and
• EOC assessments for:
  • Algebra 1,
  • Biology,
  • English 1,
  • English 2, and
  • U.S. History.

STAAR Alternate 2 is administered once a year, in the spring, and retest opportunities are not offered. 

TELPAS is an English language proficiency assessment designed to assess the progress that emergent bilingual (EB) students make in learning the English language. The assessment is aligned to the Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS). TELPAS fulfills ESSA, which requires that all EB students be assessed annually until they are determined to be proficient in the English language.

TELPAS for kindergarten and grade 1 includes holistically rated observational assessments of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. For grades 2-12, TELPAS consists of online assessments for listening and speaking and for reading and writing. TELPAS is administered once a year, in the spring, and retest opportunities are not offered. 

TELPAS Alternate is an alternate English language proficiency assessment designed to assess the progress that emergent bilingual (EB) students with most significant cognitive disabilities make in learning the English language. It is a holistic inventory aligned to the Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS). However, TELPAS Alternate is based on alternate proficiency level descriptors (PLDs). TELPAS Alternate fulfills ESSA, which requires that EB students with the most significant cognitive disabilities be assessed annually until they are determined to be proficient in the English language.

TELPAS Alternate holistically assesses students in grades 2-12 in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It is administered once a year, in the spring, and retest opportunities are not offered.