CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx \u2014 House Bill 8 replaces the STAAR test \u2014 shifting from one large end-of-year exam to a three-part test given throughout the school year.<\/p>\n
Back in August, I told you about how educators and students were bracing for possible changes to the end of the year STAAR test as House Bill 8 made its way through the state senate.<\/p>\n
At the time, many said:<\/p>\n
“But there’s so much unknown,” Rhonda Garcia, Director of Curriculum and Assessment, West Oso ISD, said.<\/p>\n
Fast forward to now \u2014 the bill has passed.<\/p>\n
And while state leaders say the new three-part testing system will help students, some local educators aren’t convinced.<\/p>\n
“We have people at the state level, who are not educators, who are making these decisions, and they think they know what it takes to be able to teach a child,” Nancy Vera, President, Corpus Christi American Federation of Teachers, said.<\/p>\n
Nancy Vera, the President for the Corpus Christi American Federation of Teachers has taught in the classroom for over three decades.<\/p>\n
She questions whether more testing actually means more learning.<\/p>\n
“It’s ridiculous. When do you have time to teach? Because you’re always testing,” Vera said.<\/p>\n
I spoke with CCISD’s Chief Officer for Accountability and Student Support Services, Sonia Zyla, to ask that exact question.<\/p>\n
“We schedule in a way that can maximize instructional time,” Sonia Zyla, Chief Officer, CCISD, said.<\/p>\n
The law also bans practice exams. Zyla says districts will have to adjust.<\/p>\n
“With the new state implementing, we will have to pull back,” Zyla said.<\/p>\n
She says she understands the concern for what’s to come, but now that the law is officially on the books:<\/p>\n
“We’ll be ready for it, we’ll make ensure our teachers are ready, and our parents are informed,” Zyla said.<\/p>\n
But Vera says she would much rather go without standardized testing as a whole.<\/p>\n
“The best thing the state can do is leave teaching up to the teachers,” Vera said.<\/p>\n
The new testing system won’t officially take effect until the 2027-2028 school year.<\/p>\n
“This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.”<\/p>\n
For the latest local news updates, click here<\/a>, or download the KRIS 6 News App.<\/a><\/p>\n