EDITORIAL: Texas failed our kids with the faulty STAAR tests

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THE MONITOR: EDITORIAL: Texas failed our kids with the faulty STAAR tests

Posted: Friday, April 1, 2016 5:06 am

THE MONITOR EDITORIAL BOARD

 

Every year hundreds of thousands of Texas students spend months preparing for the annual STAAR tests, which are state-mandated exams designed to measure proficiency and help determine whether students are ready for the next grade level. Likewise, thousands of teachers and educators pour their hearts and souls into teaching our youth throughout the academic year to get them ready for these critical end-of-year tests that are designed to measure mathematics, reading, science and history skills.

 

But this year’s State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness tests, which students began taking this week, were marred by technical online failures in several school districts, including the Rio Grande Valley. Some students, including some in Mission ISD, were unable to code in answers; could not log back into tests, and some answers disappeared from children’s test screens.

 

Commissioner of Education Mike Morath called the situation “unacceptable.” We consider that a major understatement.

 

Quite frankly, our state has failed our children. Our educators should be embarrassed. And our lawmakers should change the system.

 

After all, Texas legislators — despite decades of heated debate over the merits of such standardized tests — require this of our children beginning as young as third grade.