One of the most important steps in the search process is collecting community input to identify priority educational issues facing the District, both current and future, and to gather input regarding the experience and qualifications needed for the new superintendent.
You have likely heard about TEA’s announcement in January that in order to participate in STAAR/EOC assessments this spring, a student must be present at school. That announcement was followed by the Texas Tribune’s interview with Commissioner Morath on Feb. 11. I am writing to you in the hopes of providing some clarity regarding this issue.
Among other things, the Commissioner made the following points during his interview:
There are several federal and state laws that require all 1,202 school districts in the state to administer STAAR/EOC. In fact, EOC assessments are still a part of the Texas graduation requirements. TEA has posted a one-page listing of all of these laws on their website at: https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/state-and-federal-required-tests.pdf
Logistical constraints prevent the State of Texas from administering these assessments in remote or at-home settings. Therefore, in order to participate, a student must be physically present at school.
As a district, we are committed to complying with federal and state laws relating to state assessments. We are also committed to providing the safest environment possible for students and staff on our campuses. While we believe that teacher assessment of learning is the most meaningful form of knowing our students as learners, we recognize that data from tests like STAAR and EOC can help us evaluate the impact of the COVID pandemic on student learning.
We would very much like to have as many students as possible participate in STAAR and/or EOC assessments this spring in the safest testing environment possible.
High school parents, please know that not participating in End-of-Course assessments (EOCs) at the high school level does have implications for students since, under current law, students are required to perform successfully on EOCs to meet graduation requirements. Although many students may have future opportunities to take EOCs before graduation, we believe that it is important for students to participate in EOCs after the teaching of the course.
We cannot thank you enough for your support throughout this very challenging year.
Sincerely, Darrell G. Brown, Ph.D. Superintendent of School
