Not Every STAAR Shines

In the editorial appearing on Wednesday June 20^th, 2012 in the Austin American Statesman, Testing is good, but STAAR my not be the author addresses the issue of whether or not school officials have made the right choice to institute the new standardized STAAR test. His editorial is directed towards the school board officials and parents involved. His main point in the argument was that the test seems to be beyond the students’ academic ability and that the dropout rate for high school students may increase if they are not capable of mastering the material to pass the test. The author of the editorial uses hard facts to validate his argument by presenting the statistics of the 9th grade students’ test scores after taking the STAAR test.

I believe this author is very credible. He clearly evaluates the issue at hand by analyzing the students’ test scores and using logic to back it up. Being a student in high school, this article is very relevant. The new standardized test is a serious challenge to the incoming high school students, and if a change isn't made, the likelihood of student dropouts is bound to increase over time. Another point was made that I strongly agree with, which is support for the new mandate to disable the rule that allows the STAAR's test scores to count as 15% of the students’ final grades. Although the students should have accountability for their test scores, they also rely on their grade point average to be admitted into college. Just because a new test was enforced and the school board has to adapt immediately to the new curriculum, does not mean that the students should suffer serious consequences. 

Overall, the argument made was convincing. I already had my doubts about the new standardized test, but the author has confirmed my belief that the STAAR test may not be a viable option for students. I have learned from the editorial that although test scores may be important, the school board officials are not seeing the bigger picture. Students may not be ready for a change this drastic in standardized testing.