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 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. There are large print,
braille, paper, and online versions of STAAR with and without designated supports. For more
information about the STAAR program, visit the STAAR Resources webpage at
http://tea.texas.gov/student.assessment/staar/.