STAAR EOC Updates - Impact on 1st year 9th Grade Students

Attention Parents of all 1st year 9th grade students at AHS,

In an effort to make sure that AHS Parents and students are knowledgeable regarding all the new STAAR EOC requirements that will impact 9th grade students this year, I would like to provide you with some important updates.    As you are aware, this exam replaces the TAKS exam as your child’s graduation requirement and also counts at 15% of their year-end course grade.   Just as in the past, AHS staff is dedicated to maintaining a high level of academic achievement.  We are working diligently to prepare students for each of their upcoming EOC exams this year and want to make sure that all your questions are being answered. 

Texas Education Agency continually updates a question and answer document that addresses many questions parents may have regarding STAAR.  I’ve provided the STAAR Question and Answer Link to assist you with information. http://www.txetests.com/FAQS/index.asp?p=`2`

You may also visit www.fortbendisd.com and look under “Quick Links” for “STAAR News” to find narrated STAAR presentations, links to TEA STAAR information, the testing calendar and other important information.

STAAR EOC HIGHLIGHTS:

How is the STAAR assessment program different from TAKS?

• STAAR is a more rigorous exam and will have more questions for most grades, subjects and courses.
• Students will have four hours to complete the STAAR exams. TAKS was not timed.
• STAAR end-of-course (STAAR-EOC) exams will count for 15 percent of a student’s final course grade in a subject. The 15 percent is a state mandated requirement. TAKS did not affect course grades.
• Unlike TAKS, make-up testing under STAAR will be allowed in all subjects and grades.
• The new STAAR program will emphasize readiness standards, which are the knowledge and skills that are considered most important for success in the next grade level or in the next subject taken by the student and also important for college and career readiness. For example, Reading/ELA and mathematics readiness standards will be tied to the college and career readiness standards on the English III and Algebra II EOCs.

  New STAAR-EOC (end-of-course) assessments:

• In high school, grade-specific assessments will be replaced with 12 STAAR-EOC assessments: Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English I, English II, English III, World Geography, World History and U.S. History. STAAR-EOC will begin with students who entered ninth-grade in the 2011-2012 school year.
• The ninth-grade EOC assessment will be fully implemented and will count as 15 percent of a student’s grade in a tested subject for the current school year.

STAAR assessments for special populations:

• There are STAAR assessments for special populations and details can be found by viewing the STAAR parent information presentations on the District’s Testing website and on the TEA website.

 What we don’t know about STAAR: 

• The TEA has not released the complete passing standards for STAAR assessments. The Elementary and Middle School passing standards will not be released until late fall 2012. The EOC passing standards are expected to be released in April before the STAAR-EOC scores are released. STAAR test results will be sent home to parents.
• We do not know if the State Board of Education will make any changes to STAAR in November 2012 and what STAAR EOC assessments will count for the Federal Adequate Yearly Progress beginning in spring 2013.

Special Note:  9th grade students who intend to graduate under the “Distinguished Plan” and who have taken a high school course with an EOC component prior to this year will not have to take the EOC for those courses to meet the testing requirement for this plan.  However, they will still be required to meet all the other criteria established by the Texas Education Agency to graduate as Distinguished. 

Thanks for your continuous support! 

Mary Ellen Edge

AHS Principal
***In addition to the above information, check AHS Access regularly for STAAR tutorial information and continuous updates from the state.  It is our goal to keep you informed with the most recent information available.  Feel free to contact our Campus Improvement Specialist, Mrs. Longmire if you have additional questions.