Texas students begin crucial STAAR exams, seen by district leaders as a key checkpoint after months of learning. Testing runs through April 24.
TYLER, Texas — It’s testing time around Texas — and students in Tyler ISD are beginning to kick off the STAAR exam window, marking one of the most critical weeks of the school year.
Over the next two weeks, students in fifth through eighth grades will take STAAR exams, measuring what they’ve learned and whether they’re ready for the next grade. Tyler ISD leaders call it a final checkpoint after months of instruction.
While Texas plans to move toward shorter, more frequent testing by the 2027–2028 school year, students for now still face one major testing window.
“So we go through our curriculum throughout the school year, you know, in the last few weeks, we just kind of hone everything and make sure that the gaps that we know our students still have are the ones that we’re trying to close,” said Dr. James Cureton, Tyler ISD executive director of assessments and data analysis. “And we are essentially wrapping that up at this point. It’s just reminding students that, you know, again, this is a test you’ve been working towards all year. Let’s just take it like another day and finish it up.”
For parents looking to help their kids through the week, the district’s advice is to keep things “lowkey” at home, and that a good night’s sleep and a high-protein breakfast are the best tools a student can have. The current testing window runs through April 24.