These days, there's a question that frequently appears in parent group chats: Is the STAAR really going away?

To put it simply, yes. However, it won't happen this year.

The Texas legislature passed House Bill 8, which was signed by the governor on September 17, 2025. This law will replace the STAAR with a new exam starting in the 2027-28 school year.

This means that the current 2026-27 school year will still use the STAAR. If your child is taking the test this spring, they should prepare as usual.

Why is such a change necessary? The STAAR has long faced criticism for determining a child's entire year and a school's A-F rating based on just one test taken for a few hours in the spring. If a student is not in good condition on test day, that could be the end of it.

The official name of the new exam is the Student Success Tool, abbreviated as SST. The key point is that the once-a-year spring test will be divided into three assessments throughout the year.

Tests will be administered at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. This method is referred to in the industry as through-year assessment.

The mid-year test will take place between January and February. The results of this mid-year test will not count towards school evaluations, or accountability ratings.

The beginning and mid-year tests will be adaptive. If a student answers a question correctly, the next question will be harder; if they answer incorrectly, it will be easier, allowing for a more precise assessment of their skill level.

The end-of-year test is designed to return results to schools within 48 hours. This means that the long wait for scores over the summer will be reduced.

I'm particularly pleased about this aspect. Data needs to arrive quickly to be useful.

Parents who have received STAAR score reports will understand. Once the school year is over and grades come in, what can be changed?

By dividing the tests, it will be clear where a child struggled in the fall and how much they caught up in the winter. This structure allows for growth to be observed rather than just a single snapshot.

Another point to note is the restriction on practice tests. From 3rd to 8th grade, districts are prohibited from administering mandatory benchmark tests and vendor practice exams.

There have been many complaints that students have lost class time due to taking multiple practice tests before the actual STAAR. This law effectively puts a stop to that. For parents, this means there's a reason to rethink their child's test preparation schedule.

Parents of high school students should view this differently. The high school End-of-Course exams, commonly referred to as EOC, will mostly maintain the current structure.

The exception is English II. Students graduating in 2026 and 2027 will still need to take the English II exam, but starting with the graduating class of 2028, it will no longer be mandatory.

For high school, the beginning and mid-year tests are optional. However, districts can administer their own benchmark tests up to twice a year per subject.

There is also a pathway for districts to use alternative tests approved by the state government. However, since the TEA has not yet finalized the list of approved tests, we will need to wait and see what each district decides to use.

Are there any opposing voices? Of course, there are. The bill did not pass through the House with a large margin.

Teacher organizations and some education experts point out that the number of tests may actually increase. There are also criticisms that the weight of tests in school evaluations remains significant.

I understand that concern. Even if the tests are shorter, three tests mean that students will face testing season three times.

Still, my judgment is clear. This direction is better than a structure that puts everything on one test.

Looking at the numbers, there is a reason. In the spring 2026 STAAR, the percentage of students reaching grade level in Algebra I was 54%, which is a 7 percentage point increase from the previous year.

While there is improvement, it also means that nearly half of the students are still below the standard. We need tools to catch these students in the middle of the year.

From a parent's perspective, there are three main things to do now. First, since the STAAR will remain this year, do not disrupt your child's preparation.

Second, during the fall parent-teacher conferences, ask what tests our district plans to use in the 2027-28 school year. The preparation method may vary depending on whether it's a state test or an alternative test.

Third, if your child is in high school, check their graduation year. Whether English II is required or not will depend on that.

We won't know how the new system will actually change classrooms until the first year has passed. There is always a gap between legal language and reality.

However, I believe that as long as the promise to return results within 48 hours and immediately reflect them in instruction is kept, it will be meaningful enough. I plan to keep an eye on whether that promise is fulfilled.