What is the STAAR Algebra 1 Test?
The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, commonly referred to as its acronym STAAR is a series of standardized tests used in Texas public primary and secondary schools to assess a student's achievements and knowledge learned in the grade level. It tests curriculum taught from the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, which in turn is taught by public schools.
The test was announced because the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (commonly referred to its acronym TAKS) assessment was repealed by Texas Senate Bill 1031 in spring 2007. The bill called for secondary schools (for grades 9-11) to take end of course assessments every time a student was at the end of taking a course, instead of taking general "core subject" tests. STAAR replaced the TAKS in the spring of 2012, although students who entered 10th grade before the 2011–2012 school year continued to take the TAKS.
Like the TAKS test, STAAR employs standardized tests to assess students' skills in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. The TEA states that "The STAAR tests will be more rigorous than the TAKS tests and are designed to measure a student’s college and career readiness, starting in elementary school."
The Texas Education Agency says that the STAAR program for grades 3–8 will assess the same subjects as TAKS did, but that for high school "...grade-specific assessments will be replaced with 12 end-of-course (EOC) assessments: Algebra I, geometry, Algebra II, biology, chemistry, physics, English I, English II, English III, world geography, world history, and U.S. history."
Like the TAKS, the STAAR is mandatory every year, unlike the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills, which called for one-time testing for every student. The STAAR also has a new time limit, four hours (except for the English I/II EOc, which have 5 hrs), unlike its predecessors, TAKS and TAAS.