State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, also known as STAAR is the standardized test that judges the progress of students from 3rd grade to 8th grade. It provides actionable data that gives the insights that will help the parents, teachers and students to know the areas that need improvement in the reading and language section of arts, math, writing, science and social science. The test is also used for the Adequate Yearly Progress of each school needed by No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).The test is linked with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) learning standards. The students of Texas need to pass this test in order to reach the next level grade and graduate high school. The test was first implemented in 2011-2012 and is the replacement of Texas Knowledge and Skill Tests (TAKS).

STAAR is the assessment that is designed to know about the extent to which the students have learned and exhibit the skills and knowledge in the curriculum mandated by the state.

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The Several STAAR tests cover a range of basic subjects. The students need to take the test according to their grade. Grade 3 students need to take math and reading tests, Grade 4 students need to take up the math, writing and reading tests, Grade 5 students need to take math, reading and science tests, Grade 6 will need to give math and reading tests, Grade 7 will need to take math, reading and writing tests and Grade 8 students will need to take up Math, Reading, Science and Social Studies tests.

In the image, any score mentioned in the purple, blue and green color will be the passing marks for the students irrespective of their grade. The scores mentioned in the red band is the failing scores in STAAR tests. The students need a minimum of 25% to 35% in order to pass the tests.

Every year the students receive a report card that states how well or how poorly they did in their tests. The report card includes the percentile of the recent year and the progress from the previous year as well as the anticipated progress and the growth of students along with a Lexile score that indicates their reading level.

Reading:

This section describes the reading skills of students from grade 3 to grade 8. It measures their ability to read the basic comprehension as well as their ability to differentiate different genres.  For this assessment, students, parents and teachers can take the help of material available online which includes easy to understand lessons for the students to understand, short quizzes that will help them to practice answering the questions and what they will face in the STAAR tests.

Mathematics: 

In this test, students will need to represent their understanding of numerical relations, basic arithmetic operations, shape properties and measurements. Older students will need to perform more advanced mathematics related questions that will require them to demonstrate their understanding of arithmetic operations, geometrical relations, geometric formulas, conversion factors and data analysis. There are many online courses that could help the students to get prepared for this test.

Writing:

This exam tests the ability to compose sentences and coherent responses to the written prompt. This also tests their editing skills. For this test, students can find materials online that will help them to understand the test in a better manner.

Science:

This test requires students to answer questions that are related to the properties of matter, sources of energy and effects of force on different objects.  The older students are required to do calculations and find variables such as speed and acceleration. Different topics such as earth and space science are also covered in the test. Biological topics such as environments and about living organisms are also a part of it. Students who take this test need to put in their research and reasoning skills in order to pass this test. They can take up several mock tests that can help the students to pass.

Social Science: 

This test takes a deep interest into the knowledge of students about the United States, its culture, history and about the Civil War. It also includes questions from North American Geography, United States’ Government, Citizenship and economic Factors of the country as well as the impact of science and technology on the society. A student needs to learn all the aspects thoroughly in order to pass this test.

When preparing for the exam, they can take help of several preparation guides, mock tests to help them to understand the pattern of the exam. It will also help them to know the areas where they need to put extra effort. Furthermore, they can develop strategies that will help them to pass the test.

To prepare for the STAAR test, students need to be dedicated and committed towards the studies. They need to devote time and effort on every aspect in their school years so that they can focus on learning. They can do this by completing their home homework and reading what has been taught in school every day.