4 X 4. STAAR. is texas trying to get more kids to drop out? opinion please

[seabeyond]

http://educationfrontblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/01/taks-to-be-replaced-by-staar-i.html

State Education Commissioner Robert Scott said Tuesday that the next generation of student tests in Texas will be called STAAR - or the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. Scott announced the change from TAKS to STAAR at an annual conference of school administrators in Austin, saying students will first take the new exams in the 2011-12 school year.

The STAAR will include the 12 new end-of-course exams for high school students that will be launched with freshmen entering school in the fall of 2011. Students will take three end-of-course tests in each of four core subject areas - English, math, science and social studies. To get a diploma, students will have to get a passing average in each subject area as well as pass their classes.

Testing in grades 3-8 also will be modified as the STAAR is introduced into schools and results from grade to grade will be evaluated against performance standards for the English III and Algebra II exams administered to high school students. Scott said the new tests will be more rigorous than the TAKS exams, which have been around since 2003 and which were used in deciding whether to promote students in grades 3, 5 and 8. In addition, Scott said the new performance rating system for schools - based on STAAR results - will debut in 2013.

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4 X 4 is where kids have to have four years
english
math
science
history

TAK tests were pretty tough as it was. morning and after school tutoring to make sure ALL students passed. stop teaching all classes but to TAK test after christmas holidays.