Desoto independent school district

Dear Parents,

In January 2021, Texas Education Agency (TEA) released information regarding the suspension of the A-F rating for the 2020-2021 school year due to disruptions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, TEA also stated that school systems are required to make STAAR available to every eligible student, and the test must be administered on school campuses or at other secure alternative testing sites. That announcement was followed by the Texas Tribune’s interview with Commissioner Morath on February 11^th.

The Commissioner made the following points during his interview:

1. There are a number of federal and state laws that require all 1,202 school districts in the state to administer STAAR and TELPAS. In fact, TEA has posted a one-page listing of all of these laws on their website at: https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/state-and-federal-required-tests.pdf

    

2. Logistical constraints prevent the State of Texas from administering these assessments in remote or at-home settings. Therefore, in order to participate, a student must be physically present at school.

    

3. TEA has made a number of adjustments to help school districts provide a safe on-campus testing environment – including the option to expand the test window for online testing to space out testing and an option to provide instruction remotely to those not testing (in order to reduce the number of students on campus during testing days).

DeSoto ISD is committed to complying with federal and state laws relating to state assessments. We are also committed to providing the safest environment possible for students and staff on our campuses. While we believe that teacher assessment of learning is the most meaningful form of gauging our students as learners, we recognize that data from tests like STAAR can help us evaluate the impact of the COVID pandemic on student learning, as well as assess student readiness for the upcoming grade level.

We would like to have as many students as possible participate in STAAR assessments this Spring in a safe & secure testing environment.

In order to adequately prepare students and staff, please complete the DeSoto ISD Spring STAAR Assessment Participation Survey indicating if your child will participate in the Spring STAAR assessments.

Please know that not participating in End-of-Course assessments (EOCs) at the high school level does have implications for students since, under current law, students are required to perform successfully on EOCs to meet graduation requirements. Although many students may have future opportunities to take EOCs prior to graduation, we believe that it is important for students to participate in EOCs at the conclusion of the teaching of the course.

DeSoto ISD Spring Assessment Dates

By PParticipating in the Spring STAAR assessments, students will be required to take the assessments in-person at the student’s assigned campus.

In the near future, you will receive more information from your child’s campus regarding details for participating in Spring STAAR assessments. Please contact your child’s campus staff if you have any questions regarding Spring testing.