Category Archives: STAAR

Get ready: Spring STAAR testing begins March 29

HISD students in grades 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10 will be taking portions of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) beginning Tuesday, March 29.

Students in grades 4 and 7 will be taking the writing portion, while students in grades 5 and 8 will be taking the math and reading portions. High-school students who are either currently enrolled in or have completed English I or II will also be taking the end-of-course (EOC) exams associated with those subjects.

The first spring test administration concludes on Friday, April 1. Additional testing  will take place in May and July.

Questions? Visit HISD’s updated STAAR website, which has a list of FAQ, a complete schedule of spring testing dates, and other resources.

33 HISD schools earn spot on 2015 Texas Honor Roll

 List includes schools that exhibit high academic achievement and have reduced achievement gaps

Thirty-three schools from across the Houston Independent School District have been named to the 2015 Texas Honor Roll by the Educational Results Partnership, a nonprofit organization that showcases schools with high academic achievement.

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Twenty-nine HISD schools awarded by TEA for top performance in 2014-2015

Campuses receive every distinction designation available from the state.

Twenty-nine schools from across the Houston Independent School District earned the maximum number of distinction designations from the state for their top performance throughout the 2014-2015 school year.

The campuses – 17 elementary schools, six middle schools and six high schools – earned every distinction designation awarded by the Texas Education Agency. Schools are eligible for distinctions if they are rated as having “Met Standard” — the highest rating under the state accountability system — and meet various other performance standards.

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HISD earns “Met Standard” rating from state for the 2014-2015 school year

Almost 80 percent of HISD campuses also receive “Met Standard” designation.

The Houston Independent School District earned an overall “Met Standard” rating, according to 2015 state accountability data released Friday by the Texas Education Agency.

The district received the rating — the highest offered under the state’s current accountability system — despite increasing performance targets on the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, test.

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Next round of STAAR EOC exams May 4–8

HISD high school students will be taking portions of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) beginning Monday, May 4.

High-school students who are either currently enrolled in or have completed algebra I, biology, and U.S. history will be taking the end-of-course (EOC) exams associated with those subjects.

Make-up test opportunities will also take place during that period (May 4-8). This is the final test administration of the spring season. Re-testing opportunities for EOC exams have been scheduled for early July.

Questions? Visit HISD’s newly updated STAAR website, which has a new FAQ (.pdf), a complete schedule of testing dates, and helpful tips on how to combat test anxiety. Students may also consult with their school counselors with any questions or concerns not addressed on the STAAR website.

Next STAAR test administration April 20-24

HISD students in grades 3 through 8 will be taking portions of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) beginning Monday, April 20.

Students in grades 3, 4, 6, and 7 will be taking the math and reading portions, while students in grades 5 and 8 will be taking the science portion, and grade 8 students will be taking the social studies portion.

Make-up testing opportunities will take place on April 23 and 24. This spring test administration will conclude on Friday, April 24.

Questions? Visit HISD’s newly updated STAAR website, which has a list of FAQ, a complete schedule of spring testing dates, and helpful tips on how to combat test anxiety.

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Teacher-produced STAAR videos motivate students for testing

Gallegos Elementary School and Wheatley High School teachers and staff created videos to get their students focused on doing their best work on this week’s STAAR tests.

Fourth- and fifth-grade Gallegos ES students saw the videos at a STAAR Pep Rally on Friday, March 27.

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Thousands of students taking advantage of STAAR EOC tutorials

Last week, HISD announced it had created online tutorials for the five State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) end-of-course (EOC) exams that every student must pass in order to graduate.

More than 33,000 high school students have already taken advantage of this valuable resource, with most (about 40 percent of that figure) using the tutorials to prepare for the English I and English II exams, which are scheduled for next week.

A number of forward-thinking students have also been using the STAAR EOC tutorials in biology (5,180), algebra I (8,870), and U.S. history (5,891), although those exams will not take place until the beginning of May.

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Get ready: Spring STAAR testing begins March 30

Subjects being covered include reading, writing, and English I and II

HISD students in grades 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10 will be taking portions of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) beginning Monday, March 30.

Students in grades 4 and 7 will be taking the writing portion, while students in grades 5 and 8 will be taking the reading portion. High-school students who are either currently enrolled in or have completed English I or II will also be taking the end-of-course (EOC) exams associated with those subjects.

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STAAR EOC tutorials available online for high school students

Students can access 24-7 via the HUB

Every student in Texas must pass five end-of-course exams in order to graduate, and HISD has created a series of online tutorials to help students prepare for the state exams. HISD high school students can access the tutorials — including videos, handouts, and helpful links — through the HUB, which is the district’s online teaching and learning platform.   Students can click here (.pdf) for a tip sheet on how to access them or they can go directly to the HUB at www.houstonisd.org/hub and use their district login and password.

The tutorials were created and designed by a team of HISD teachers, teacher developments specialists, and representatives from curriculum, academics, and the schools’ office.  They are designed to be self-paced and can be accessed by students 24-hours a day—at school, home, or anywhere with an Internet connection through a computer, tablet or smartphone. The material can also be downloaded and viewed offline. Quizzes are also provided to assess mastery of the coursework.

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