Texas STAAR Scoring Under Fire After Massive Rescore Gains

It's been one of those things that has always been contentious in Texas academics. The standardized testing they administer to students each year, better known as STAAR testing.

There is a heavy burden placed on both teachers and students when it comes to these tests, so much so that it causes true anxiety for both. I know my kids are always stressed the week before the test, and that anxiety just grows each day it gets closer.

Student Stress and Testing Pressure

For years, the STAAR testing has been essentially a report card of how a school is doing. Are teachers doing their job? Are the students learning what they should be learning? I understand the premise of it, but I've always felt there are flaws.

Some of these students simply aren't good test takers. Others are just so stressed out about it that they panic and flounder on it. Furthermore, there are punishments attached to them if they don't do well, such as summer school or being unable to play sports.

Read More: Texas School Grades From 2023 Released After Appeal

Computer‑Graded Essays: A Flawed Approach

School districts have long believed the way the tests are scored isn't accurate, and what we don't know is how many school districts will actually ask for a rescore on certain parts of the test.

Computers are used to grade the students' essay portion of the test, and there is much frustration with that. Many districts feel the essays should be graded by humans, not computers, and there are numerous districts that will ask for rescores on that portion. When a rescore is done, it's done by a human, not a computer.

Rescore Data: What the Numbers Reveal

Recently, numerous school districts asked for a rescore on the essay portion after receiving the results back, and they saw a massive increase in scores once that happened. Dallas ISD in particular submitted 5,420 STAAR tests for a rescore...and saw 35% of those scores improve after the rescore.

They did the same thing with last year's STAAR tests. Over 4,600 were submitted for a rescore, and a staggering 43% came back with improved scores.

Policy Implications: What Comes Next

If we're going to place so much weight on these tests, shouldn't we be making sure that the scoring system is accurate? I can understand education officials backing the scoring of the tests if only 5-10% of them came back with better scores. However, two years in a row showing 35% or better improvement brings the scoring into question.

STAAR testing isn't going anywhere after House Bill 4 failed to pass. The bill proposed three shorter assessments to be given throughout the year instead of cramming it all in at the end of the year. Sadly, this won't be happening, and the students will still feel the pressure of these tests. At least score them accurately if you're going to put them through this.