MEMO: TEA Update on Parent Refusal for STAAR Testing

Date: April 25, 2023

To: Hitchcock ISD Community

From: Hitchcock ISD Communications

Subject: TEA Update on Parent Refusal for STAAR Testing

Dear Hitchcock ISD Community,

Commissioner Mike Morath of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) recently addressed parent(s) requests across the state of Texas requesting their child(ren) not take state tests, stating, “Federal and state laws require that all eligible students participate in the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®). Although state law provides a parent with the right to temporarily remove the parent’s child from a school activity if the parent has an objection to participation, it specifically does not allow a parent to do so to avoid a test/assessment. Since districts are responsible for ensuring that all eligible students are accounted for during testing, the district must submit the test for scoring.

For additional information, please refer to What Families Should Know About STAAR.”

While we respect whatever decisions our district families make in regard to their child(ren), we want to ensure everyone understands the STAAR test is not a reflection on them or their learning abilities, but instead is a reflection on the school district’s ability to provide your child(ren) with a quality education. When students refuse to take the STAAR test, the district must submit a blank answer document which will result in a failing score for the student,
skewing the district’s performance ratings greatly and can prevent a high school student from
graduating.

We invite you to view the What Families Should Know About STAAR infographic attached to this
post.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to Superintendent Travis Edwards at 409-316-6545 or tedwards@hitchcockisd.org.