Shayna Aldrich, eighth grade science teacher at Fredericksburg Middle School, works on a problem with students (from left) Ryan Vick, Julia Freeborn and Cameron Sheffield. She avoids using the term “STAAR” in class until it’s time to begin preparing her students for the exam. — Standard-Radio Post/Richard Zowie
By Richard Zowie —
Teachers across Texas and in Fredericksburg Independent School District spend the year giving students new knowledge.
Then, for some students, a yearly test determines how much they’ve learned.
Implemented in spring 2012, the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) program tests whether students are ready for the next level of their academic careers.
Some teachers find STAAR beneficial, while some see it as controversial, arguing it forces them “to teach to the test.”
The exam also annoys some parents, who see it as a stress-inducing, threatening roadblock to their child’s advancement to the next grade.
Currently, STAAR assesses reading and mathematics for grades three through eight, writing for grades four and seven, science for grades five and eight, social studies for eighth grade and end-of-course (EOC) assessments for English I, English II, Algebra I, biology and U.S history.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) describes STAAR as a program measuring the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) curriculum standards. It’s designed to support, rather than replace, the state-mandated TEKS.
Preparing for STAAR
“I choose not to put a lot of emphasis on the STAAR test as a teacher,” said Danni Uecker, who teaches fourth grade math and science at Fredericksburg Elementary School. “My goal is to make sure I have taught the TEKS skills to the best of my ability. If I have done that, then the students will do well on the STAAR test.”
In education, Uecker strives to create a safe and stress-free learning environment.
“I have learned that one of the best ways to do that is to teach the STAAR test as a genre of the content and present it as a different way questions can be asked, regarding what we have learned throughout the year,” she said. “If you come in my room at any given time you probably will not see my students doing a worksheet. Students at all grade levels thrive on engaging, hands-on, student created activities. This is where the true learning takes place.”
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