AUSTIN, Texas — The STAAR test could soon be put to the test itself.
The Texas House approved a measure Thursday, requiring the state to develop a plan to audit the exams.
There are polarizing views on whether the STAAR test is testing students above their grade level. It's one of the reasons why a representative behind the audit believes the state is setting students and teachers up to fail.
The test made its debut in 2012, focusing on core subjects such as math, reading and science.
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Since the test was issued, lawmakers have considered tying district funding and teacher salaries to test scores, but some have deemed the exam too hard. This has sparked bill proposals to change it.
Representative Mary Gonzalez, the one behind the audit said the STAAR test, said it is one of the top things she gets calls about. Education experts have looked into the anxiety it places on students.
"There are major concerns about the STAAR test that need to be addressed before we use the assessment to determine what schools to close, or which students can advance to the next grade," Gonzalez told KVUE. "In light of the recent investigations questioning the accuracy of the test, we must discontinue the use of high-stakes testing until there is a full investigation of the readability of the STAAR test."
Gonzalez gathered nearly 100 signatures from house colleagues to audit the third-grade STAAR test.
Then another representative from Houston expanded on the measure to include third through eighth graders.
The STAAR exam can determine a lot. If the fifth and eighth graders fail the test, they can't move on to the next grade. If high schoolers fail, they can't graduate, unless their teachers and parents intervene.