The end of the school year often brings feelings of excitement and relief, as students look forward to new opportunities. Though, it can also bring a lot of anxiety for a great deal of students as STAAR Testing season begins for freshman, sophomores, and juniors.
Majority of high school students have already been exposed to the STAAR test in the past and often have built up judgement on how they feel about STAAR. From the studying, to the hours of test taking early in the morning, it is difficult for students to have an enthusiastic outlook.
It is a popular opinion among students that STAAR testing has more negative effects than positive. When asked about what they would change about the STAAR test, students had many opinions.
“Get rid of [STAAR] entirely,” sophomore Marcus Ornelas said. “It’s a big waste of money and resources for the school. If we got rid of STAAR it would make teachers’ jobs a lot easier, more flexible, and there would be less stress on students.”
There is uncertainty on if the STAAR exam accurately analyzes students’ knowledge on the subjects tested.
“Everyone passes anyway and it mostly ends up being a big waste of time,” junior Charlie Cox said. From the Texas Education Agency End-of-Course Assessment Results, in the Spring of 2024, the Algebra 1 Approaches rate was 79%, meaning that 21% of students did not pass the STAAR test. In addition, the English 1 Approaching rate was 67%, this indicates that 33% of the students did not meet the Approaching rate.
STAAR testing is not considered beneficial among the student body. The process brings dread and rarely seems to be advancing students’ education. Even though students are in support of getting rid of STAAR testing altogether, students believe changes can be made to improve the experience.
“I think having everyone who’s done being able to go to a room with everyone else is done so they can rest, listen to music, or do whatever,” Freshman Mia Bradshaw said “I’ve noticed that when everyone is in my testing room it seems like there’s a weight that lifts off of everyone when we’re allowed to quietly talk to each other and turn around. So I think having all the people who are done testing go to another room would help cut down the stress that a lot of people feel when they take the STAAR.”
Some students believe it could be useful to adjust the time limit of the STAAR exam.
“The time that is given to take the test should definitely be shorter,” Junior Jay Coats said. “The average amount of people usually complete the test in about an hour and a half to two hours.”
Although there are many pessimistic views on STAAR testing, some students still take the time to prepare for the test.
“Completing English assignments the week before the test helps me.” Ornelas said. “Doing activities like writing essays or going over past tests. It helps me because it makes me feel like I have experience in the field of knowledge that is required for the STAAR exam.”
The STAAR testing environment can be stressful and intimidating. Despite the fact that most students have taken the STAAR exam multiple times throughout their academic career, it can still be a source of stress. However, there are strategies students use during the test to make the experience more manageable.
“I have ADHD and I work and focus better when I have any sort of music or background noise on,” Bradshaw said. “A trick I do is I listen to music nonstop before the test and get the songs stuck in my head so I can replay it while we’re resting.”
Other techniques can include the process of elimination.
“I look for any ‘odd one out’ questions.” Ornelas said. “Trying to find a question that’s different from all four options. It helps answer questions better.”
Students find it beneficial to not overthink and instead trust their instincts.
“Go with your gut and don’t second guess your answer,” Ornelas said. “Normally the first answer you come up with is true and then the second answer right after is just you doubting the first one. Normally the first answer is right, in my experience.”
There are so many different perceptions about the STAAR test and this can cause students to be informed of misconceptions, leading to unintentional worry throughout every classroom. As the years go on, students have come up with different ways to set themselves up for success before entering school.
“Don’t stress about the test.” Coats said. “Just get it done. Many people stress about this test, when only a percentage is needed to pass. If you work through it you should pass or maybe even get a high percentage on the test.”
Texas Education Agency News https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/news-and-multimedia/news-releases/news-2024/tea-releases-2024-staar-end-of-course-assessment-results
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