When it comes to the end of the school many students, and even teachers stress about the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, also known as the STAAR.  According to the Texas Assessment Management System website, the STAAR is “Designed to measure what students are learning in each grade and whether or not they are ready for the next grade. The goal is to ensure that all students receive what they need to be academically successful. Meeting these individual student needs depends greatly on schools, parents, and community members working together.” But the big question is: is it really necessary? I believe that the STAAR Isn’t necessary.

The STAAR puts a lot of pressure on  the students. In the days we prepare for the STAAR we get told that if we don’t pass one of the STAAR tests then we won’t make it to the next grade. I think one test shouldn’t decide whether we pass a grade or not. There are some days where some students aren’t feeling it and they totally flunk the test. But that can happen to anyone.

Sometimes if you don’t pass the STAAR you have to go to summer school which takes all but a couple weeks of your summer break, and nobody wants to spend all their summer doing any type of school work. Too many students stress over the STAAR and I think it is just too much pressure for the test.

I’m not the only one who thinks it shouldn’t be a necessity. According to NEWS4SA, “Two Texas lawmakers are working to pass a state law that would eliminate standardized test passing requirements to pass students to the next grade.”

There is even some research that shows that the reading STAAR could be one to three levels too high. Which could also lead some students to failing the test. If you look online the word “STAAR” there is many different opinions about it, while some could be positive or some could be negative. But in the end I think that people should change some things about the STAAR, and that they should find new ways to make it to where there is not as much pressure to pass it.