How Schools Can Help STAAR Test Takers

posted by Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom - October 11th, 2014

The STAAR test, or State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness is an effective assessment tool utilized by public schools in the whole state of Texas. What makes it stand out from other tests out there is that it evaluates the academic performance of learners in each included subject area and the scores thereafter contribute 15% of their final grades. But do students need to fear the STAAR test? Of course not!
Schools throughout Texas understand just how important the STAAR exam is. This is why teachers are also doing their best to help students prepare for it. How do they do this? A good example is for schools to come up with parallel tests. These tests include items which are almost similar with the actual STAAR questions.

There are many ways on how schools can formulate STAAR-like test items. One of their techniques is to rewrite test questions from previous STAAR tests and allow learners to answer them. Afterwards, they check their papers and identify the areas which they find difficulty in. This way they know which subjects to focus on more.

Perhaps the easiest way to make your own STAAR sample questions is by downloading special software similar to one featured in http://www.staartestmaker.com/. You can choose from thousands of test items for review during your class. You can also search the web for similar sites that offer free STAAR samples in case you don’t have the time to make your own.

It’s vital for the school especially the teachers to show their support for learners who will be taking the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness and providing them with sample STAAR test items can already mean a lot to them. They’re just what they need to prepare for the test and feel confident and at ease during exam day.