Texas STAAR testing canceled as a result of coronavirus

School districts can now decide if students can graduate in Texas and other students can move on to the next grade without the previous requirement that they pass the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR), the Texas Tribune reported.

Schools, already shuttered as a result of the deadly and highly contagious coronavirus, now will not have to worry about standardized testing for students.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Monday that he was waiving the standardized test requirements for the entire state this year. Those tests scheduled for April, May and June were canceled.

Typically, students in the fifth and eighth grade take the STAAR test.

Students’ grades, the teacher’s recommendation, and other academic information as deemed relevant by school districts will determine if a student can graduate and move on to the next grade of schooling, the Texas Education Agency announced on Wednesday.

The announcement came as a relief for many school officials and students who are grappling with the effects of the coronavirus.

“Given the impact of COVID-19, Governor Greg Abbott is using his statutory authority as the governor of Texas under Texas Government Code, §418.016 to suspend annual academic assessment requirements for the remainder of the 2019–2020 school year,” the Texas Education Agency said. “TEA will work with the United States Department of Education to request waivers from federal testing and accountability requirements for the 2019–2020 school year.”

The TEA indicated this decision is to ensure that those who are impacted by COVID-19 can make their decisions at this time in the best interests of the students of Texas.

Normally, high school students are required to pass five subject-specific standardized tests to graduate in the state. Abbott’s decision to suspend that requirement will now give teachers the authority to decide if a student can get their diploma.