On a Thursday morning inside a classroom at Shepard Middle School in South San ISD, eighth graders take turns presenting Algebra word problems \u2014 questions similar to what they\u2019ll see on the Algebra I STAAR. Their peers cheer them on.<\/p>\n
It can be fun. But testing days are strictly business.<\/p>\n
Students are usually asked not to bring anything to school except themselves and maybe a pencil. Almost complete silence is required, and teachers read from black-and-white scripts to guide students through the testing process. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is absolutely a stressful season for students, families, for schools, for, teachers and principals,\u201d said Sharene Dixon, instructional superintendent at San Antonio Independent School District. \u201cBut we work so hard to show how the teachers, the students, the principals have worked so hard this year, and the benefit will be the greatness that will happen on the assessment.\u201d<\/p>\n
What to expect during STAAR<\/p>\n
Dixon has worked for more than two decades in education as a teacher, principal and now a district leader. She said families play a \u201ccritical role\u201d when it comes to preparing students for the STAAR.<\/p>\n
The night before testing, Dixon recommends students get plenty of rest, followed by a healthy breakfast and a calm morning routine to set testers up for success.<\/p>\n
Throughout the year, she added, families should build in daily routines to help students retain what they learn every day. <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SAISDFirstDay_BaskinElementarySchool_25_AmberEsparza.jpg\")
Science, math and English instructional materials are held in the library to be distributed to classes on the first day of school at Baskin Elementary on Aug. 13, 2025. Credit: Amber Esparza for the San Antonio Report<\/p>\n
\u201cFamilies can actually ask, \u2018Hey, what strategy did you learn today?\u2019 And just allow the students to talk about it to help them remember,\u201d Dixon said. \u201cWhen they can teach another person, that means they master it. So I think just having the conversation routines is a big deal.\u201d<\/p>\n
On test days, campuses are also more sensitive to what and who comes in and out of the building to keep students focused and make sure every tester gets a fair shot. Backpacks and devices are confiscated during testing, so Dixon said it\u2019s best for students not bring anything except themselves.<\/p>\n
Preliminary results for high schoolers come out in May, and full results come out in June. Students and families can access their results through the Texas Education Agency\u2019s family portal<\/a>, which tracks a student\u2019s STAAR scores every year.<\/p>\n If students don\u2019t perform on grade level, they receive intervention or \u201caccelerated instruction\u201d the next school year and are not required to repeat a school year. <\/p>\n Most school districts let out at the end of May or early June. After testing wraps up, instruction continues to prepare students for the next grade, said Dixon. <\/p>\n Pressure to perform<\/p>\n The pressure is on for several San Antonio area schools that have gotten failing ratings several years in a row. <\/p>\n SAISD has 18 \u201cpriority\u201d campuses<\/a> that have gotten failing ratings for three consecutive years. Those ratings are largely based on results from the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, aka STAAR.<\/p>\n While many public education leaders say the test isn\u2019t the defining mark of how well a school is serving students since it\u2019s only \u201cone day, one test,\u201d if SAISD\u2019s priority schools get a fourth failing rating, the district opens itself up to state intervention.<\/p>\n A fifth year would require the state to take over local control.<\/p>\n Pre-STAAR testing showed a grim outlook for some campuses, forcing SAISD to take preemptive action and buy more time by closing two campuses<\/a> and handing control of three schools to an outside group<\/a>.<\/p>\n SAISD is not alone in this challenge. Judson ISD on the far Northeast Side and Edgewood ISD on the West Side also have several campuses requiring quick \u201cturnaround\u201d too. Northside ISD also has a campus that\u2019s gotten three consecutive F-ratings.<\/p>\n As a worst case scenario, SAISD officials estimate that roughly 20 schools could get another failing rating this year based on previous testing. But that\u2019s a very conservative estimate, officials say, and other estimates show several campuses could go from a failing D to a passing C grade.<\/p>\n Dixon is optimistic about this year\u2019s testing season, pointing to new \u201chigh-quality\u201d math curriculum SAISD implemented across all schools and additional coaching and support at priority campuses through \u201cprofessional learning committees.\u201d <\/p>\n Recruiting and retaining \u201ceffective teachers\u201d has also become a large focus for school districts as the pressure to perform from the state adds up. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SulRossMiddleSchool_NorthsideISD_NISD_AVIDProgram_AcademicCollegePreparedness_StudentTutoring_Classr.jpeg\")
Sul Ross Middle School teacher and AVID coordinator Carolyn Moreno instructs her seventh grade class and reviews what GPAs are and the importance of academic preparedness during a class on March 19, 2026. Credit: Amber Esparza \/ San Antonio Report<\/p>\n