More students got zeros on STAAR writing questions. It isn’t just a Texas problem.
There are a number of theories on why so many Texas students received zeroes on certain question types on this year’s state test. But one thing is for certain: The issue isn’t unique to Texas. In Fort Worth and across the state, the number of students who received zeros on constructed response questions on this year’s State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, exams grew substantially this year over last year. That growth comes following the rollout of a newly redesigned state test and a shift to automated scoring. Texas Education Agency officials say they’re confident the new exam still offers an accurate look at how students are doing.
