Students learning remotely won't have to take STAAR test, Texas education chief says
Texas students who are still learning remotely won't have to take the required State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness exam, or STAAR test, according to the state's education commissioner.
In an interview with the Texas Tribune that was posted on Thursday, Mike Morath, who oversees the Texas Education Agency, explained families will have to send their children in person to take the exams due to the lack of "logistical ability to do the STAAR remotely."
The video above is from a previous video.
However, he noted that parents who are concerned about the potential health risks of sending their children to school in person for the test can choose to continue to learn remotely.
"The kid won't take the test and they won't have access to that information," Morath said.
Morath drew anger from parents, educators and lawmakers over the decision to continue requiring the test especially with classroom changes caused by the pandemic. The reason, according to Morath, is schools will need the data from students' scores on those standardized tests to judge whether they are indeed learning.
Texas has given schools additional flexibility, such as the ability to offer more test dates, so they can socially distance students during in-person testing at monitored sites.
Morath's full interview can be seen on the Texas Tribune website.
'A' through 'F' grading paused, but STAAR test to continue, state says
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans - and engages with them - about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
