The STAAR Gazer
Judson ISD Accountability & Assessment
Information and Updates for State Assessments and Accountability
March 2020
Parent Edition
Governor Abbott Waives STAAR Assessments
Judson ISD supports this decision and continues to focus on the safety and academic well being of your child. Campuses are working hard to put together opportunities for continued learning during this unprecedented time. Please make sure you make contact with campus staff for resources to continue learning at home. Stay safe out there!
How Does the STAAR Waiver Impact Graduation Requirements?
Under normal circumstances, students in high school would need to pass five STAAR End-of-Course (EOC) assessments to meet graduation requirements, in addition to other criteria stated in Texas Education Code §28.025(c). Because of the COVID-19 school closures, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) provided districts with guidance to address the STAAR EOC requirement.
Students set to graduate in 2020
- Students who are still working on STAAR EOC assessment requirements and planned to retake tests this spring or summer may still graduate no matter how many STAAR EOCs the student has not passed.
- Students in this situation would be appointed an Individual Graduation Committee (IGC) which could include teachers, administrators, and counselors.
- The IGC would ensure all other state and local graduation criteria has been met and determine whether the student could graduate.
- Contact your campus for more information on IGCs.
Students set to graduate in future years
- Students who are on track to complete and earn full credit for a course in spring 2020 that is tied to a STAAR EOC, will not be required to take that EOC in the future. Essentially, the state is "exempting" the STAAR EOC graduation requirement for students in this situation.
- For example, a 10th grade student will have completed and earned credit for English II in spring of this year (2020). Because there is no opportunity to test this year, the student would be "exempted" from the requirement to take or pass the English II EOC.
How Does the STAAR Waiver Impact Promotion Requirements in Grade 5 and Grade 8?
Under normal circumstances, students in Grade 5 and Grade 8 are required to pass the STAAR Mathematics and Reading assessments in order to be promoted to the next grade level (Texas Education Code §28.021(d)). Because of the COVID-19 school closures, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) provided districts with guidance to address the SSI promotion/retention requirement.
Students in Grade 5 and Grade 8
- Because there will be no opportunity to test this year, campus administrators will make promotion or retention decisions based on local requirements such as students' grades, relevant academic information, and teacher input.
- Contact campus staff for more information on SSI requirements.
The Accountability and Assessment Team
Judson ISD and the Accountability & Assessment Team is committed to fostering academic success and social well being for all students. We strive to provide excellent customer service and support to the Judson ISD community. Please reach out to us for any questions.
Nicole Taguinod, Director (ntaguinod@judsonisd.org)
Kimberly Carlton, Assessment Specialist (kcarlton@judsonisd.org)
Lydia Martinez, Testing Assistant (lmartinez@judsonisd.org)
Wendy Sterling, Testing Specialist (wsterling@judsonisd.org)
Website: https://www.judsonisd.org/Page/16426
Location: 8205 Palisades Drive, Live Oak, TX, USA
Phone: 210-945-5336