Landgraf’s effort to slash STAAR Test passes in Texas House

AUSTIN Legislation joint authored by State Rep. Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) to reduce STAAR testing passed out of the Texas House by a vote of 136-6 on Friday, a press release detailed.

“House Bill 764 ensures Texas students are tested only as required by federal law, instead of the State of Texas imposing additional standardized tests on our students, parents and teachers,” Landgraf stated in the press release. “The bill eliminates any statewide test that is not federally required and eliminates end-of-course exams for high school students.”

HB 764 eliminates the social studies test for eighth graders as well as the writing tests for fourth and seventh graders, the press release detailed. End-of-course exams for high schoolers are also eliminated and replaced with a process to allow for high school students to be able to take the SAT or ACT or another norm-referenced secondary-level test in order to satisfy the federal assessment requirements.

The bill also reportedly stipulates that if federal testing requirements are reduced that Texas will immediately follow suit to reduce state testing accordingly.

“I hear more concerns about the STAAR test than just about anything else. These complaints come from students, parents, teachers, administrators and taxpayers. HB 764 is a direct response to those complaints,” Landgraf stated in the press release. “We still have a lot of work to do to fix this problem, but the passage HB 764 clearly demonstrates that the members of the Texas House are listening to the voices of their constituents,” Landgraf concluded.

HB 764 now heads to the Texas Senate for consideration, the press release detailed. If passed by the Senate before the end of May, the bill will be sent to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk to be signed into law.