TEA waives STAAR test for 5th, 8th graders

Texas Education Agency has waived STAAR test requirements for 5th and 8th grade students for the 2015-2016 school year due to ongoing reporting issues with the state's testing vendor.

A re-test scheduled for June 21 and 22 has also been canceled.

"Kids in the classroom should never suffer from mistakes made by adults. We intend to hold the vendor, Educational Testing Service, accountable," Commissioner of Education Mike Morath said in a statement apologizing for the issues.

Under normal circumstances, students must pass reading and math assessments in 5th and 8th grade in order to advance to the next grade level. State law, however, gives the commissioner the option to waive the requirement when necessary.