STAAR Performance Standards Requirements for 2015–2016 and Beyond

SUBJECT: State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) Performance Standards Requirements for 2015–2016 and Beyond

This letter is to inform school districts that I am recommending the replacement of the current phase-in schedule for the STAAR® program’s student passing standards with a revised approach. Current commissioner of education rule specifies a phase-in approach to reaching the final standards in 2021–2022. Under the current approach, the next phase-in level (phase-in 2) is scheduled to be implemented in the 2015–2016 school year.

Under a proposed amendment to the current commissioner rule (19 TAC §101.3041), the phase-in approach would be replaced with a standard progression approach from 2015–2016 through 2021–2022, increasing performance standards annually in smaller increments. Intended to minimize any abrupt single-year increase in the required Level II performance standard, the standard progression approach would still allow annual, consistent, incremental improvements toward the final recommended Level II performance in 2021–2022.

The proposed commissioner of education rule can be accessed at the following link: http://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/Laws_and_Rules/Commissioner_Rules_(TAC)/Proposed_Commissioner_of_Education_Rules/

The formal rule proposal will be published in the Texas Register on October 16, 2015, and a 30-day public comment period on the proposal will then commence. Both the site at the provided link and the Texas Register will have information about how the public can submit comments on the proposal.

Sincerely,

Michael Williams

Commissioner of Education

All proposed new rules, proposed amendments to existing rules, and proposed repeals being considered by the commissioner of education are available here. You may submit public comments on proposed rules electronically to rules@tea.texas.gov. Please specify in your message the rule actions to which your comments apply. Please note the specific public comment period established for each rule proposal.

Rule text is in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. Download the Adobe Acrobat Reader, required to access PDF files, from the Adobe website.

1- Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 89, Adaptations for Special Populations, Subchapter AA, Commissioner’s Rules Concerning Special Education Services, Division 2, Clarification of Provisions in Federal Regulations and State Law, and Division 7, Dispute Resolution

2- Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 101, Assessment, Subchapter CC, Commissioner’s Rules Concerning Implementation of the Academic Content Areas Testing Program, Division 1, Implementation of Assessment Instruments

3- Proposed Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 101, Assessment, Subchapter CC, Commissioner’s Rules Concerning Implementation of the Academic Content Areas Testing Program, Division 2, Participation and Assessment Requirements for Graduation, §101.3021, Required Participation in Academic Content Area Assessments

4- Proposed Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 101, Assessment, Subchapter CC, Commissioner’s Rules Concerning Implementation of the Academic Content Areas Testing Program, Division 4, Performance Standards, §101.3041, Performance Standards

5- Proposed Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 101, Assessment, Subchapter DD, Commissioner’s Rules Concerning Substitute Assessments for Graduation, §101.4002, State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness End-of-Course Substitute Assessments

6- Proposed Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 102, Educational Programs, Subchapter HH, Commissioner’s Rules Concerning the Texas Adolescent Literacy Academies, §102.1101, Attendance and Completion Requirements for Texas Adolescent Literacy Academies

7- Proposed Repeal of 19 TAC Chapter 109, Budgeting, Accounting, and Auditing, Subchapter AA, Commissioner’s Rules Concerning Financial Accountability, Division 2, Financial Solvency, §109.1101, Financial Solvency Review

8- Proposed Amendments to 19 TAC Chapter 153, School District Personnel, Subchapter CC, Commissioner’s Rules on Creditable Years of Service