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Signed STAAR Letter

Dozens of Texas legislators are asking the Texas Education Agency to cancel the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, or STAAR exam.

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Maritza Nunez
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5K views5 pages

Signed STAAR Letter

Dozens of Texas legislators are asking the Texas Education Agency to cancel the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, or STAAR exam.

Uploaded by

Maritza Nunez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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November 18, 2020

The Honorable Mike Morath


Commissioner, Texas Education Agency
1701 N. Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78701

[Delivered Electronically]

Commissioner Morath:

We are writing to request that, for the 2020-2021 school year, the Texas Education Agency seek the waivers necessary from
the United States Department of Education for federal testing and accountability requirements to cancel the administration
of the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exam. At most, any administration of the STAAR exam
during the 2020-2021 school year should only serve as a diagnostic instrument to see where our students stand academically
as opposed to an assessment instrument to determine district and campus sanctions under the current A-F accountability
system.

As the Commissioner of the Texas Education Agency, you and your staff have witnessed firsthand the difficulties COVID-
19 has presented to our educators, our students, and their families; in every aspect of life, nothing has been left untouched
or unaffected by this pandemic. Given the agency’s understanding of the anticipated impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
on public education in this State, we appreciate the agency’s foresight by waiving the Student Success Initiative promotion
requirements for the 2020-2021 school year1, however, we believe that the agency should also recognize that the effects of
this ongoing pandemic extend beyond concerns regarding promotion and retention of students and will also impact an
accountability system that heavily weighs campus and district performance on student achievement and growth.

The COVID Slide2, an academic deficit that the agency has widely recognized, has resulted in students, across the state,
being behind grade-level in nearly every subject. Instead of proceeding with the administration of the STAAR exam as
planned, the agency, along with our districts and campuses, should be focused on providing high-quality public education
with an emphasis on ensuring the health and safety of students and educators. While data from the STAAR exam may be a
good indicator of where our students are currently, the data should be used in a manner to chart a path forward as opposed
to being used to sanction our districts and campuses.

We appreciate your time regarding this issue. Our offices stand ready to assist you and the agency in any manner you deem
necessary.


1
To the Administrator Addressed (Subject: Waiver of the Student Success Initiative (SSI) Promotion Requirements), Texas Education Agency,
retrieved from: https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/Waiver-of-the-Student-Success-Initiative-SSI-Promotion-Requirements.pdf
2
TEA Strong Start 20-21: Preparing for Remote Instruction (Slide 3), Texas Education Agency, retrieved from
https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/covid/overview_of_remote_instruction_guidance_for_sy_20-21.pdf

Sincerely,

Representative Diego M. Bernal


House District 123

Representative Alma A. Allen Representative Rafael Anchía Representative Trent Ashby


House District 131 House District 103 House District 57

Representative Ernest Bailes Representative Michelle Beckley Representative Lorraine Birabil


House District 18 House District 65 House District 100

Representative César Blanco Representative Rhetta Andrews Bowers Representative Brad Buckley, DVM
House District 76 House District 113 House District 54

Representative John Bucy III Representative DeWayne Burns Representative Briscoe Cain
House District 136 House District 58 House District 128

Representative Gina Calanni Representative Travis Clardy Representative Garnet Coleman


House District 132 House District 11 House District 147

Representative Nicole Collier Representative Philip Cortez, Ph.D. Representative Drew Darby
House District 95 House District 117 House District 72

Representative Jay Dean Representative Joe Deshotel Representative Art Fierro


House District 7 House District 22 House District 79

Representative Barbara Gervin-Hawkins Representative Jessica González Representative Mary González, Ph.D.
House District 120 House District 104 House District 75

Representative Vikki Goodwin Representative R. D. “Bobby” Guerra Representative Roland Gutierrez


House District 47 House District 41 House District 119

Representative Cody Harris Representative Ana Hernandez Representative Abel Herrero


House District 8 House District 143 House District 34

Representative Gina Hinojosa Representative Justin Holland Representative Donna Howard


House District 49 House District 33 House District 48

Representative Celia Israel Representative Julie Johnson Representative Kyle Kacal


House District 50 House District 115 House District 12

Representative Tracy O. King Representative Matt Krause Representative Stan Lambert


House District 80 House District 93 House District 71

Representative Brooks Landgraf Representative Ray Lopez Representative Armando “Mando” Martinez
House District 81 House District 125 House District 39

Representative Trey Martinez Fischer Representative Terry Meza Representative Ina Minjarez
House District 116 House District 105 House District 124

Representative Christina Morales Representative Sergio Muñoz, Jr. Representative Andrew Murr
House District 145 House District 36 House District 53

Representative Lina Ortega Representative Leo Pacheco Representative Mary Ann Perez
House District 77 House District 118 House District 144

Representative Ana-Maria Ramos Representative Richard Peña Raymond Representative Ron Reynolds
House District 102 House District 42 House District 27

Representative Ramon Romero Jr. Representative Toni Rose Representative Jon Rosenthal
House District 90 House District 110 House District 135

Representative J.D. Sheffield, DO Representative Carl Sherman Representative Lynn Stucky, DVM
House District 59 House District 109 House District 64

Representative James Talarico Representative Shawn Thierry Representative Ed Thompson


House District 52 House District 146 House District 29

Representative Senfronia Thompson Representative Chris Turner Representative Gene Wu


House District 141 House District 101 House District 137

Representative Erin Zwiener


House District 45

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