TEA ready to Pilot STAAR Interim Assessments

Although these do not relate directly to Science teachers, you might want to share with your friendly-neighborhood Math and ELAR colleagues that TEA has started an open Pilot on the new Interim STAAR Assessments. We listened to a webinar on them today and they sounded very interesting. Below I've included excerpts from the To Administrator Addressed Letter making it official:

"The STAAR Interim Assessments are a TEA-provided tool to help educators tailor instructional practice to address students’ needs. 

"Feedback from the pilot will be incorporated into the full launch of the interim assessments, which will be available in two administrations during the 2018 –2019 school year." 

"Educators who would like to participate in the spring 2018 pilot should contact their districts. School districts that choose to participate in the pilot will be asked to provide feedback via a survey." 

The STAAR Interim Assessments include the following features.

• Items for the STAAR Interim Assessments are developed with Texas teachers and fully aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The assessments include some former STAAR items.
• Interim assessments for grades 3–8 mathematics and reading are offered through the STAAR Online Testing Platform.
• Results are reported in the STAAR Assessment Management System.
• Reports for the pilot include percentages representing the statistical probability of achieving “Approaches” and “Meets” grade level expectations on STAAR. This information is available immediately after a student’s assessment is submitted.
• Information about students’ relative strengths or weaknesses in STAAR reporting categories will be available in a data file. For students who have completed and submitted tests by February 23, a data file will be available on March 5. A final data file for all students participating will be available two weeks after the testing window closes.
• The interim assessments pilot testing window is January 29–March 23, 2018.
• Districts register students in the Texas Assessment Management System. Registration begins January 9, 2018.
• An informational webinar is required for all educators participating in the 2018 interim assessment pilot. ETS is hosting an initial webinar on Tuesday, January 9, 2018, 10:00–11:00 a.m. (CT). A recorded version of the webinar will be posted for educators who are not able to participate the scheduled webinar.

Districts can require schools to participate in these assessments, but state law limits district-required benchmarks to twice per school year. Teachers who choose to administer these assessments when not required by their district are not subject to the same limitation.

If you are interested in participating in the 2018 interim assessment pilot, please contact the TEA Student Assessment Division via email at StudentAssessment@tea.texas.gov.