AUSTIN, Texas — Texas State Senator José Menéndez has announced he will file a bill to put a two-year moratorium on the use of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test.
In a memo to Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath, Sen. Menéndez said he is concerned with the state's use of the STAAR program to assess students readability and school accountability ratings.
"The STAAR test unfairly impacts our students, teachers and neighborhood schools," Sen. Menéndez said in a statement. "Research shows that these tests are two to three years above grade level."
Sen. Menéndez said the two-year hiatus will allow legislators time to ensure Texas public schools are being fairly assessed.
"Texas ranks 40th in education quality with the current standards we have in place," said Sen. Menéndez. "Our students are being set up for failure from the inside out by standardized testing. These tests can honestly alter the paths of students' lives. Using an unfair measure to judge, negatively impacts our students, teachers and neighborhood schools. This moratorium is necessary to ensure that our youth are adequately and fairly educated."
Sen. Menéndez served in the Texas House of Representatives from 2001-2015 before being elected to the Texas Senate. He is also the current chairman of the Senate Hispanic Caucus.
