Why should we not take the STAAR test?
Parents and teachers are concerned that the STAAR test is too hard. According to Texas Standard,”A fifth-grader would be expected to read at a seventh-grade level, for instance third grade would be expected to read at a fifth-grade level. This is not what we normally expect from children.”
Standardized tests force students to perform under extreme pressure and can lead to a host of mental issues including low self-esteem, depression and anxiety. As a direct result of their increased stress levels, students can begin to feel more and more resentful toward the education system.
STAAR tests show whether a student has mastered specific knowledge of a core subject at a certain grade level. Test results should provide parents assurance that their child is prepared to enter the next grade level within their school district or any Texas district.
Students in grades 3-8 and high school take the STAAR exam. STAAR stands for the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness. In all grades, the assessments are designed to test students on the state standards that are required to be taught in public school.
But for many students, the test can be stress inducing. “I want to say most of it we're probably stressed out like me because it's really how they thought about their grades,” he said. “Like I have friends who just never cared about their grades and they just went in and just did whatever they want.
Yes. California Education Code section 60615 allows a parent or guardian to submit a written request to school officials to exclude his or her child from any or all parts of state-mandated assessments.
Test anxiety can also cause panic attacks, which are the abrupt onset of intense fear or discomfort in which you may feel like you are unable to breathe or like you are having a heart attack.
Exam stress can affect how we feel, think and behave. You might experience different things before, during and after your exams. When feelings of stress become too much to manage, this can affect our mental health. Stress can also make existing mental health problems feel harder to cope with.
A little nervousness before a test is normal and can help sharpen your mind and focus your attention. But with test anxiety, feelings of worry and self-doubt can interfere with your test-taking performance and make you miserable.
- Teaching to the Test. ...
- Children are Evaluated Based on One Test. ...
- Stress. ...
- External Factors Are Not Taken into Consideration. ...
- Tests do not Cover All the Skills. ...
- Standardized Tests Invite Cheating.
What happens if you don't take STAAR?
4) What are the consequences for not completing state testing? If a student attends class but refuses to take the STAAR or STAAR EOC test, the test MUST still be scored, as required by the Texas Education Agency. Students who refuse to take the End-of-Course (EOC) exams in high school may not be able to graduate.
No. State law makes it clear that students may not opt-out of tests, including standardized tests. The complete Texas Education Code section 26.010 states: EXEMPTION FROM INSTRUCTION.
Federal and state law mandate that students in grades three through 12 take the STAAR exams, and in some cases how they do determines if they graduate or move up to the next grade.