Texas Assessment Program Frequently Asked Questions

STAAR GENERAL QUESTIONS

1. What is STAAR?
The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR®, is the state testing program that was
implemented in the 2011–2012 school year. The Texas Education Agency (TEA), in collaboration with the
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and Texas educators, developed the STAAR
program in response to requirements set forth by the 80th and 81st Texas legislatures. STAAR is an
academic assessment program designed to measure the extent to which students have learned and are
able to apply the knowledge and skills defined in the state-mandated curriculum standards, the Texas
Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Every STAAR question is directly aligned to the TEKS currently
implemented for the grade/subject or course being assessed. The STAAR program includes STAAR and
STAAR Spanish. STAAR is administered primarily online with and without accommodations. There are
also paper, large print, and braille versions of STAAR. Refer to the STAAR Resources webpage for more
information.
2. In what grades, subjects, and courses are students assessed with STAAR?
STAAR assessments are administered for:
• grades 3–8 mathematics,
• grades 3–8 reading language arts (RLA),
• grades 5 and 8 science,
• grade 8 social studies, and
• Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology, and U.S. History.
3. When are the STAAR assessments administered?
STAAR assessments are administered in the spring. Additional testing opportunities are available for
STAAR end-of-course (EOC) assessments in the summer and the fall. To allow districts more flexibility in
scheduling online administrations, TEA provides testing windows. If a student is not able to test on the
locally scheduled date, district testing personnel should provide an opportunity for the student to test
later in the testing window.
The specific testing windows for each school year can be found in the Student Assessment Testing
Calendar on the Test Administration Resources webpage.
4. How many days are students taking STAAR assessments?
In general, students spend the following number of days testing during each school year: two days in
grades 3, 4, 6, and 7; three days in grade 5; and four days in grade 8.
The number of testing days for high school students is dependent on when students take specific high
school courses and whether students need to retest. In most cases, a high school student would have
five days of testing throughout his or her high school years—three in grade 9, one in grade 10, and one
in grade 11.
5. Are there any released test questions available for STAAR?
Yes. Each year TEA releases the spring administration of all STAAR grades/subjects and courses. As
STAAR is administered online, the released tests are available in the online Practice Test Site. TEA no
longer produces PDF versions of the released tests since STAAR is an online assessment with technology
enhanced items.

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6. What types of questions are on STAAR assessments?
Beginning with the spring 2023 administration, STAAR has been redesigned to align more closely with
effective classroom instruction. The redesigned assessments include multiple-choice and non-multiple-
choice test questions. The non-multiple-choice questions were developed with Texas educators to be
more aligned to the types of questions teachers ask in class and to give students different ways to show
understanding. These questions include multiselect, multipart, hot text, hot spot, inline choice, drag and
drop, equation editor, text entry, short constructed response, and extended constructed response.
Refer to the New Question Types document on the STAAR Resources webpage for more information.
7. What are short constructed-response questions?
Short constructed-response questions require students to write a brief response in their own words.
These questions often go beyond simple recall or recognition. They require students to demonstrate
critical thinking skills such as analyzing and synthesizing. Short constructed-response questions are
scored based on the content included in the response and the evidence used to support it. Refer to the
scoring guides for each content area that are posted on the specific STAAR content-area webpages.
8. What are extended constructed-response questions?
Extended constructed-response questions require students to write an extended response in their own
words based on a reading passage. These questions are included on all STAAR RLA assessments and
require a response written in one of three modes: informational, argumentative, or correspondence.
Extended constructed-response questions are scored based on organization and development of ideas
and on language conventions. Refer to the writing rubrics and scoring guides available on the STAAR RLA
Resources webpage for more information.
9. How many characters are allowed for student responses to constructed-response questions?
Student responses are limited to a maximum of 475 characters for a short constructed response and
2,300 characters for an extended constructed response. Punctuation counts toward the maximum
number of characters, but spaces do not.
10. Are younger students able to type constructed responses on electronic devices?
Research shows that younger students can type online. The National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP) conducted a study with grade 4 students that showed them to be capable of using
computer programs to type, organize, and write well enough to be assessed. At least 20 other states
require elementary-age students to write extended responses online. Additionally, the Texas technology
TEKS require students to be able to type proficiently by grade 3, including learning the proper touch
keyboarding techniques and ergonomic strategies. Students who need support with typing have access
to existing transcribing accommodations that allow test administrators to transfer student responses
into the online system.
11. What type of reading passages are included on the STAAR RLA assessments?
The STAAR RLA assessments include cross-curricular informational passages that reference content
aligned to the TEKS for other content areas (e.g., social studies, science, mathematics, fine arts, etc.).
While the cross-curricular passages include topics from other content areas, the test questions only
assess RLA TEKS; students will not be scored on their understanding of TEKS from other content areas.
All passages are reviewed and approved by Texas educations to ensure the passages:
• represent polished, high-quality writing and are considered exemplary samples of eligible genres;
• include reliable and accurate information;

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• are unbiased against or toward any group;
• are as engaging as possible for students;
• are appropriate for the intended grade level; and
• contain enough content to assess multiple student expectations.
STAAR TESTING REQUIREMENTS
12. What are the general testing requirements for students in grades 3–8?
Students in grades 3–8 must be tested at their enrolled grade level as required in Texas Education Code
(TEC) §39.023(a). Students in grades 3–8 must be tested every year in mathematics and RLA.
Exceptions to this requirement may exist for students receiving instruction above grade level.
• A student in grades 3–8 who is receiving instruction above grade level should take STAAR for the
grade/subject in which he or she is receiving above-grade instruction if an assessment exists. For
example, a student enrolled in grade 7 who is receiving instruction in grade 8 science should take
the STAAR grade 8 science assessment and must take the STAAR grade 7 mathematics and RLA
assessments.
• For a student in grades 3–8 who is receiving above-grade instruction in a subject across multiple
grade levels, district personnel should carefully evaluate the content of the instruction as it relates
to the STAAR grade-level assessments to ensure the student is provided the best opportunity to
demonstrate his or her understanding of the grade-level content. For example, if a student who is
enrolled in grade 6 is receiving instruction in all grade 6 and some grade 7 mathematics TEKS, the
student should take the STAAR grade 6 mathematics assessment. It would not be appropriate to
administer the grade 7 assessment to this student since the student has not been given the
opportunity to learn all the grade 7 mathematics TEKS. This student must take the STAAR grade 6
RLA assessment.
• For a student in grades 3–8 who is receiving instruction in a high school course, he or she will take
the corresponding STAAR EOC assessment in place of the grade-level assessment in that content
area if an assessment exists. For example, a student enrolled in grade 8 who is receiving
instruction in English I should take the STAAR English I assessment and must take STAAR grade 8
mathematics, science, and social studies assessments.
13. What are the testing requirements for a student in grades 3–8 who is receiving instruction in a high
school course that does not have a corresponding STAAR EOC assessment?
• Mathematics: Since there is not a STAAR EOC assessment that aligns with the student’s
instruction, the student must take his or her grade-level STAAR assessment to fulfill the federal
requirement that students be assessed annually in grades 3–8 in mathematics. For example, a
student enrolled in grade 8 who is receiving instruction in geometry must take the STAAR grade 8
mathematics assessment as well as all other STAAR grade 8 assessments.
• RLA: Since there is an RLA assessment in every grade from 3 to 10 to satisfy federal testing
requirements, this scenario is not applicable.
• Science: Since there is not a STAAR EOC assessment that aligns with the student’s instruction,
these students are required to take their grade-level STAAR assessment (if he or she has not
already taken it) to fulfill the federal requirement that students be assessed in science at least
once in elementary school and once in middle school.

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• Social studies: Since there is not a STAAR EOC assessment that aligns with the student’s
instruction, the student must take the STAAR grade 8 social studies assessment (if he or she has
not already taken it) to fulfill the state testing requirement.
14. What are the STAAR testing requirements for students in kindergarten, grade 1, or grade 2 who are
receiving instruction in subjects above their enrolled grade level?
There are no STAAR testing requirements for students enrolled in kindergarten, grade 1, or grade 2, so
these students do not test. STAAR testing requirements begin with students enrolled in grade 3.
15. What are the general testing requirements for students enrolled in high school courses?
Regardless of their enrolled grade level, students should take STAAR EOC assessments (Algebra I,
English I, English II, Biology, and U.S. History) as they are completing the corresponding courses since
these assessments are required for high school graduation and most are required for federal
accountability purposes.
16. Are districts required to provide accelerated instruction to students who do not have a passing score
on STAAR assessments?
Yes. TEC §28.0211 requires any student who does not receive a passing score on a STAAR assessment to
receive accelerated instruction. Refer to the Accelerated Instruction webpage for more information.
STAAR GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
17. Which STAAR assessments are required for high school graduation?
In general, students must pass (achieve Approaches Grade Level or higher) all five STAAR EOC
assessments—Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology, and U.S. History—to earn a high school diploma
from a Texas public school district or open-enrollment charter school as required in TEC §39.025.
18. When should students take a STAAR EOC assessment?
Students should take a STAAR EOC assessment during the spring, summer, or fall administration, as close
as possible to the completion of the corresponding course. Most students will have received instruction
in an entire course or a significant portion of the course by the spring testing date or by the end of the
school year, so they would participate in the spring administration.
However, if by the end of the school year students have received instruction in only part of the course
(e.g., the first half, the second half), then they would take the STAAR EOC assessment in whichever
subsequent administration is closest to the time they are completing the course.
For students who are taking courses outside of the typical semester sequence, district personnel should
carefully evaluate the timing of the course instruction as it relates to the STAAR EOC assessment
schedule to ensure that students are provided the best opportunity to demonstrate their understanding
of the course content. For example, district personnel should evaluate the extent to which students
taking a course such as Biology in an accelerated block of instruction during the spring are able to
complete their testing requirements. Students who do not participate in the spring STAAR
administration may not be able or willing to return to school in June to take the assessments and will
not have another opportunity to test until December of the following school year, months after they
have completed the course.

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19. How many testing opportunities do students have to pass the STAAR EOC assessments?
All five STAAR EOC assessments—Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology, and U.S. History—are
administered at the end of the first semester (fall), at the end of the second semester (spring), and in the
summer, giving students three testing opportunities each year. The number of testing opportunities
students have prior to high school graduation is dependent on when students take the corresponding
course. For example, most students take biology during their freshman year. That means students have
10 testing opportunities before they are scheduled to graduate. In contrast, most students take U.S.
History during their junior year, giving them four testing opportunities prior to high school graduation.
Students who do not pass one or more of the required assessments before their scheduled graduation
may continue to test during any administration. The specific testing windows for each school year can be
found in the Student Assessment Testing Calendar on the Test Administration Resources webpage.
20. What types of substitute assessments can students use to fulfill their STAAR graduation requirements?
To satisfy graduation requirements, students can use satisfactory scores on several assessments (e.g.,
SAT, ACT) in place of satisfactory scores on STAAR EOC assessments. Always refer to the current version of
Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §101.4002 to determine which assessments can be used for this
purpose.
Regardless of a student’s choice to use a satisfactory score on a substitute assessment to fulfill part
of his or her graduation requirements, federal and state laws require all students to take STAAR EOC
assessments at least once for federal accountability purposes. This testing requirement is
independent of the graduation requirement and does not impact the student’s ability to use a
substitute assessment to meet graduation requirements.
21. Can a student use more than one substitute assessment to fulfill his or her graduation requirements?
Yes. A student can use a qualifying score on a substitute assessment to satisfy his or her graduation
requirement for a STAAR EOC assessment as indicated in each cell of the substitute assessment chart in
TAC §101.4002(d)(1). For example, a student could use a qualifying score on SAT mathematics to
substitute for STAAR Algebra I and a qualifying score on SAT reading and writing to substitute for either
STAAR English I or STAAR English II but not both. The only way a student can use a single score on a
substitute assessment to meet the graduation requirement for more than one EOC assessment is when
a student has taken the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) assessment at the end of a college preparatory
class. If the student meets the qualifying score for reading and writing, he or she can use that score to
substitute for both STAAR English I and English II.
22. What are the STAAR graduation requirements for students who earn course credit through Advanced
Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses?
Students who earn Texas high school course credit through an AP or IB course that is substituting for a
TEKS-based course required for graduation (e.g., AP biology instead of TEKS-based biology) are required
to take the STAAR EOC assessment. However, if the student takes the AP or IB test, the student may be
able to use the AP or IB test score to fulfill his or her testing requirement for graduation. Refer to TAC
§101.4002 for more information.
23. What are the STAAR graduation requirements for students who earn course credit through distance
learning programs, correspondence courses, or dual credit courses?
Students who earn Texas high school course credit through distance learning programs (e.g., the Texas
Virtual School Network), correspondence courses, or dual credit courses are required to pass STAAR EOC
assessments to fulfill their testing requirements for graduation.

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24. What are the STAAR graduation requirements for students who earn course credit through credit by
examination (CBE)?
If a student uses CBE to gain credit for a course in which he or she has had some prior instruction, the
student is required to pass the corresponding STAAR EOC assessment to fulfill his or her STAAR
graduation requirement. However, if a student uses CBE to gain credit for a course in which he or she
has had no prior instruction, the student is not required to take the corresponding STAAR EOC
assessment to fulfill his or her STAAR graduation requirement. Refer to TAC §74.24 for more information
about CBE.
25. What are the STAAR graduation requirements for a student who moves into the Texas public school
system from outside the Texas public school system, such as from out of state or country or from a
private school?
The requirements depend on where the final course credit is earned, regardless of whether the final
course credit earned is a partial credit for the first or second semester. A student whose final course
credit is earned in another state, another country, a private school, or a home school for a course in
which there is a corresponding STAAR EOC assessment:
• is not required to take the corresponding STAAR EOC assessment to fulfill his or her graduation
requirement if the Texas public school district or open enrollment charter school accepts the course
credit from the entity outside the Texas public-school system in which the course was taken, or
• is required to take the corresponding STAAR EOC assessment to fulfill the student’s graduation
requirement when he or she takes the corresponding course in the Texas public school system
because the Texas public school district or open enrollment charter school does not accept the
course credit.
26. If a student fails the course but passes the STAAR EOC assessment, is the student required to retest
when he or she retakes the course?
No. Once a student passes (achieves Approaches Grade Level or higher) a STAAR EOC assessment, the
student has fulfilled that part of his or her graduation requirement and cannot retest.
27. If a student fails the course and fails the STAAR EOC assessment, does the student have to wait until
he or she completes the entire course again before retesting?
No. The student has already received instruction in the entire course and is eligible to retest during any
future administration. District testing personnel must ensure that the student is provided an
opportunity to test to meet his or her graduation requirement each time the assessment is offered.
STAAR PERFORMANCE AND REPORTING
28. How is student performance described for STAAR?
There are three cut scores on STAAR assessments, which separate student performance into four
categories. For the STAAR program, the performance categories are:
• Masters Grade Level (passing)
• Meets Grade Level (passing)
• Approaches Grade Level (passing)
• Did Not Meet Grade Level (not passing)

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29. What is the passing standard for STAAR?
The passing standard for STAAR is Approaches Grade Level. A student who scores at or above this level
has passed the STAAR assessment, but a student who scores within Did Not Meet Grade Level has not
passed. Refer to the STAAR Performance Standards webpage for more information.
30. Why are the STAAR performance standards presented as scale scores rather than raw scores?
As with many standardized assessments, the STAAR program uses scale scores to communicate
information about performance levels. A scale score is a more exact way to determine subject mastery
than a raw score because a scale score considers the difficulty level of each individual test question in
addition to whether a student answers the question correctly. The basic score on any assessment is the
raw score, which is the number of questions answered correctly regardless of difficulty level. A scale
score is a conversion of the raw score onto a scale that takes into account the difficulty level of the
specific set of questions used on an assessment in any given year. A scale-score system allows every
assessment to have exactly the same passing standard, or level of performance required, even though
the raw score needed to pass the assessment may vary slightly from year to year.
During the annual assessment development process, it is not always possible to select questions that
have exactly the same difficulty as questions on previous versions of the assessment. It is important to
maintain the passing standard (but not necessarily the raw score needed to pass) from year to year to
ensure that students passing in one year will have exactly the same rigorous testing requirements as
students passing in a subsequent year, even though the test questions differ from one year to the next.
31. Does the passing standard for STAAR change each year?
No. The passing standards (scale scores) do not change. However, the raw scores associated with the
scale scores may shift slightly from one administration to the next due to differences in the test
questions. This minor shift (either up or down a point or two) in raw scores can be seen in the STAAR
Raw Score Conversion Tables. These tables are produced each year after the assessments are
administered.
32. Why isn’t the passing standard for each STAAR assessment set at 70 percent of the questions correct?
While many people believe a raw score that is equal to 70 percent of the questions correct should qualify
as passing, a score that is simply the percentage of questions correct does not take into account the
difficulty of the questions on an assessment. A student who gets 50 percent of the questions correct on
a very difficult test will likely demonstrate a higher mastery of subject matter or course content than a
student who gets 90 percent of the questions correct on a very easy test. For example, Person A is given
a 10-question test on calculus and answers 7 out of 10 questions correctly, which equals 70 percent.
Person B is given a 10-question test on multiplication and answers 7 out of 10 questions correctly, which
equals 70 percent. Person A’s test covered more difficult content—calculus as compared to
multiplication. Although both testers answered 70 percent of the questions correctly, it would not be
accurate to say that both testers demonstrated the same level of mathematics proficiency.
Scale scores are a better indicator of a student’s mastery of test content. While raw scores on STAAR will
be available to students, parents, and teachers, it is important to understand that answering fewer than
70 percent of the questions correctly on an assessment does not necessarily indicate poor performance
either in terms of scale scores or mastery of the assessed content.

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33. What reporting data are available to students and their parents?
Student test results are available to students and their parents through the Texas Assessment Family
Portal. Parents can see their child’s recent test results as well as easy-to-use resources to support
learning at home and assist their child in focusing on the skills he or she most needs help with. For
spring administrations of STAAR, parents can see each test question, the correct answer, a rationale for
the correct answer, and their child’s answer. Test results from previous administrations are also
available. Each student is provided a unique access code to log in to the Family Portal. The access code is
found at the bottom of the STAAR student report card. The Family Portal can be accessed on the Texas
Assessment website.
34. What reporting data are available to districts and campuses?
Authorized district and campus personnel, including classroom teachers, have access to the Centralized
Reporting System (CRS), which allows users to analyze results to compare current and historical data.
Users can compare campuses to campuses, campuses to districts, districts to districts, and districts to
the state. District and campus personnel are also able to organize the data to examine different
demographic and program information groups, enabling access to cross-sectional analyses of the
assessment data. CRS can be accessed on the Testing Personnel page of the Texas Assessment website.
ACCOMMODATIONS ON STATE ASSESSMENTS
35. What are accommodations?
TEA defines accommodations as changes to materials or procedures that enable students to participate
meaningfully in learning and testing. Refer to the Accommodation Resources webpage for more
information.
36. What are the different levels of accommodations available for state assessments?
Accommodations fall into three categories: accessibility features, locally-approved designated supports,
and designated supports requiring TEA approval. Refer to comprehensive information about the
procedures and materials within each of these categories as well as their specific eligibility criteria on
the Accommodation Resources webpage.
Accessibility features are procedures and materials that should be made available to students who
regularly use them during classroom instruction. Examples of accessibility features include visual
supports such as a zoom feature and a large mouse pointer.
Locally-approved designated supports are procedures and materials that are available to students who
meet eligibility criteria. The decision to use a designated support during a state assessment should be
made on an individual student basis and should take into consideration the needs of the student and
whether the student routinely and effectively uses the support during classroom instruction and
classroom testing. Examples of locally-approved designated supports include basic transcribing and oral
administration.
Designated supports requiring TEA approval are procedures and materials that require the submission
and approval of an Accommodation Request Form for students who meet eligibility criteria. There are
four designated supports requiring TEA approval—Complex Transcribing, Extra Day, Mathematics Scribe,
and Other. The request for one of these designated supports must be made through the Test
Information Distribution Engine (TIDE) prior to the posted deadlines and approved by TEA before a
student can use the designated support on the state assessment.

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37. Which students can receive accommodations?
Accommodations are intended for students who are approved to use them based on the decisions of
the appropriate committee (e.g., admission, review, and dismissal [ARD] committee; 504 committee;
language proficiency assessment committee [LPAC]; response to intervention [RtI] committee; student
assistance team). When campus-level committees make decisions, they should be addressing a student’s
consistent academic struggle in a specific area. For example, supplemental aids are not the same as
common study aids used by students who are not struggling academically.
38. What do the terms “routinely,” “independently,” and “effectively” mean in the eligibility criteria for
accommodations?
Routinely used does not mean that the accommodation must be used every day during instruction.
Routine use of an accommodation means that the student has used the support often enough during
classroom instruction and classroom testing that he or she is able to use it independently during the
state assessment. Independent use is applicable to some designated supports (e.g., calculation aids) but
not to others (e.g., oral administration). In addition, the support has been proven to be effective in
meeting the student’s specific needs as evidenced by student scores or teacher observations with and
without the use of the accommodation.
39. Why is oral administration not allowed on reading passages for STAAR RLA assessments?
One purpose of the STAAR RLA assessments is to assess students’ reading comprehension—the degree to
which students understand what they read. These assessments are not intended to be a measure of
listening comprehension, which is distinctly different from reading comprehension. For this reason,
students are required to read the passages independently. Listening to the STAAR reading passages being
read aloud makes the assessment an inappropriate and invalid measure, since no determination about a
student’s reading comprehension can be made.
ASSESSMENTS FOR SPECIAL POPULATIONS: SPECIAL EDUCATION AND SECTION 504
40. What testing options are available for students with disabilities?
Most students with disabilities will take STAAR with or without allowable accommodations. The
appropriate committee at the campus level is responsible for deciding if a student meets eligibility
requirements to receive a designated support according to the policy documents found on the
Accommodation Resources webpage.
Students receiving special education services who have the most significant cognitive disabilities may
meet the participation requirements for STAAR Alternate 2. Education decisions for students who
receive special education services, including which assessment is most appropriate for the student, are
made by the ARD committee. Refer to the Assessments for Special Populations webpage for more
information.
41. What are the STAAR graduation requirements for students receiving special education services who
take STAAR EOC assessments?
The ARD committee makes educational decisions for a student with a disability, including decisions
related to state assessments and graduation requirements as described in TAC §89.1070. Refer to the
Special Education webpage for additional questions about the graduation requirements for students
receiving special education services.

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42. Can an ARD committee decide that retesting is not required after a student has taken the first
administration of an EOC assessment?
An ARD committee may determine that satisfactory performance on a required EOC assessment is not
necessary for graduation. Such a determination means that the student will not need to participate in a
retest administration for that specific STAAR EOC assessment. Note that retest opportunities are not
available for STAAR Alternate 2 EOC assessments.
43. What is STAAR Alternate 2?
STAAR Alternate 2 is an academic assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards and is
available for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who meet the participation
requirements. STAAR Alternate 2 has been developed to meet federal requirements of both the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA). ESEA requires that all students be assessed in specific grades and subjects throughout their
academic career, whereas IDEA requires that students with disabilities have access to the same
standards as their non-disabled peers and be included in statewide assessments. Refer to the STAAR
Alternate 2 Resources webpage for more information.
44. What assessments are available for STAAR Alternate 2?
STAAR Alternate 2 is a standardized item-based assessment administered to students in a one-to-one
setting and is available in the same grades/subjects and courses as the general STAAR assessments:
• grades 3–8 mathematics,
• grades 3–8 RLA,
• grades 5 and 8 science,
• grade 8 social studies, and
• Algebra I, English I, English II, Biology, and U.S. History.
45. Can a student be assessed with STAAR Alternate 2 in one subject and with STAAR in another subject?
No. If an ARD committee determines that a student meets the participation requirements for STAAR
Alternate 2, the student will be assessed in all subjects for the enrolled grade using STAAR Alternate 2.
46. Can a person who is not employed by the district but whose presence is required by the student’s
individualized education program (IEP) be present during testing?
Yes. District testing personnel should develop local policies to document the potential exposure of non-
district employees, such as nurses or therapists, to secure test materials. District testing personnel must
make the non-district employees aware that they have access to secure test materials so that the
security and confidentiality of the test is maintained as described in the District and Campus Coordinator
Resources.
47. Can STAAR Alternate 2 be administered in a location where there is active video monitoring?
Yes. STAAR Alternate 2 can be administered in a location where video is being recorded, whether it is in a
classroom or a home setting. District testing personnel must make the parents, guardians, health care
providers, and anyone else who may have access to the videotape aware that it includes secure test
materials so that the security and confidentiality of the test is maintained as described in the District and
Campus Coordinator Resources.

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48. How is student performance described for STAAR Alternate 2?
There are two cut scores on STAAR Alternate 2 assessments, which separate student performance into
three categories. For STAAR Alternate 2, the performance categories are:
• Level III: Accomplished Academic Performance
• Level II: Satisfactory Academic Performance
• Level I: Developing Academic Performance
Refer to the STAAR Alternate 2 Performance Standards webpage for more information.
ASSESSMENTS FOR SPECIAL POPULATIONS: EMERGENT BILINGUAL STUDENTS
49. What testing options are available for emergent bilingual (EB) students?
All EB students must take an academic assessment—STAAR, STAAR Spanish (for students who are
eligible), or STAAR Alternate 2 (for students who meet the participation requirements). STAAR with and
without accommodations is available for EB students in grades 3 through high school. STAAR Spanish
with and without accommodations is also available in grades 3–5.
All EB students must also take an English language proficiency assessment—the Texas English Language
Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) or TELPAS Alternate (for students who meet the participation
requirements).
LPACs must meet annually to make and document state assessment decisions for EB students on an
individual student basis. Refer to the EB Students section of the Assessments for Special Populations
webpage for more information.
50. What is STAAR Spanish?
STAAR Spanish is an academic assessment program designed to measure the extent to which students
who receive instruction in Spanish and can best demonstrate their learning through a Spanish language
assessment have learned and are able to apply the knowledge and skills defined in the state-mandated
curriculum standards, the TEKS.
The mathematics and science questions are translated from English and adapted as necessary to ensure
cultural and linguistic accessibility. Passages and questions for the RLA assessment are developed
uniquely in the Spanish language so that the Spanish language arts curriculum can be assessed in a more
authentic and meaningful manner. The English and Spanish versions of STAAR have the same test
blueprint and assess the same TEKS student expectations. Refer to the STAAR Spanish Resources
webpage for more information.
51. Which assessments are available for STAAR Spanish?
STAAR Spanish is available in mathematics and RLA at grades 3–5 and in science at grade 5 for students
for whom an assessment in Spanish provides the most appropriate measure of academic progress.
52. How is student performance described for STAAR Spanish?
There are three cut scores on STAAR Spanish assessments, which separate student performance into four
categories. The performance categories are:
• Masters Grade Level (passing)
• Meets Grade Level (passing)
• Approaches Grade Level (passing)

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• Did Not Meet Grade Level (not passing)
Refer to the STAAR Performance Standards webpage for more information.
53. What is TELPAS?
TELPAS is an English language proficiency assessment that measures the progress EB students in
kindergarten through grade 12 make in acquiring the English language. TELPAS measures English
language acquisition in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in alignment with the Texas English
Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), which are part of the TEKS. Refer to the TELPAS Resources
webpage for more information.
54. Who takes TELPAS?
All EB students in kindergarten through grade 12 are required to participate in TELPAS, including
students classified as limited English proficient (LEP) in the Public Education Information Management
System (PEIMS) whose parents have declined bilingual or English as a Second Language (ESL) program
services. EB students are required to take TELPAS annually until they meet bilingual/ESL program exit
criteria and are reclassified as non-LEP.
55. How are the TELPAS language domains assessed?
TELPAS includes holistically rated observational assessments of listening, speaking, reading, and writing
for kindergarten and grade 1. For grades 2–12, TELPAS includes online assessments for listening and
speaking and for reading and writing. TELPAS is designed specifically for students who do not speak
English as their first language.
56. How is student performance described for TELPAS?
TELPAS reports student performance in terms of four English language proficiency levels to show the
progress students make in learning English from year to year. These levels are:
• Beginning
• Intermediate
• Advanced
• Advanced High
Refer to the TELPAS Proficiency Standards webpage for more information.
57. What is TELPAS Alternate?
TELPAS Alternate is an alternate English language proficiency assessment for EB students enrolled in
grades 2–12 with the most significant cognitive disabilities. A student’s ARD committee, in conjunction
with his or her LPAC, will determine if the student meets the participation requirements for TELPAS
Alternate. TELPAS Alternate is aligned to the ELPS; however, TELPAS Alternate is based on alternate
proficiency level descriptors that were created to address the specific needs of this student population.
Refer to the TELPAS Alternate Resources webpage for more information.
58. How are the TELPAS Alternate language domains assessed?
TELPAS Alternate is a holistic inventory based on teacher observations of listening, speaking, reading, and
writing for grades 2–12. TELPAS Alternate consists of 40 Observable Behaviors.

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59. How is student performance described for TELPAS Alternate?
TELPAS Alternate reports student performance in terms of five English language proficiency levels to
show the progress students with the most significant cognitive disabilities make in learning English from
year to year. These levels are:
• Awareness
• Imitation
• Early Independence
• Developing Independence
• Fluency
Refer to the TELPAS Alternate Proficiency Standards webpage for more information.

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