{"id":18792,"date":"2025-10-17T16:04:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T20:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/?p=18792"},"modified":"2025-10-28T12:15:56","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T16:15:56","slug":"texas-house-bill-eight-replacing-staar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/news-blog\/texas-house-bill-eight-replacing-staar\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas House Bill 8: Understanding the End of STAAR\u00ae and What\u2019s Coming Next"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Texas is about to experience its most significant change in student assessment in over a decade. With the signing of House Bill 8 (HB 8) into law in September 2025, STAAR\u00ae testing in grades 3\u20138 will be phased out and replaced with a new three-window assessment system starting in the 2027\u201328 school year. While the high-stakes STAAR\u00ae exam is going away in name, the need for rigorous, TEKS-aligned instruction and continuous progress monitoring remains more important than ever.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So what exactly is changing? What should educators expect? And how can schools prepare?<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>The Legislative Journey Behind HB 8<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The path to passing HB 8 reflected the complexity and divisiveness of education policy in Texas. After an initial legislative attempt failed to reconcile differences between the House and Senate in June 2025, Governor Abbott called a special session in August to revive the conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Key milestones in the legislative process:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>June 2, 2025<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The regular session ends without agreement on a STAAR\u00ae replacement.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>August 15, 2025<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: A special session is called to revisit assessment reform.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>August 26\u201327, 2025<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Both chambers pass HB 8 after extended debate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>September 17, 2025<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Governor Abbott signs the bill into law.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The new system will officially launch in the <\/span><b>2027\u201328 school year<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, giving educators two full years to prepare for the transition.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Does HB 8 Change?<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>What\u2019s Staying the Same<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>High school End-of-Course (EOC) exams<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are mostly unaffected. These assessments will continue under the current structure with the exception of English II. The graduating classes of 2026 and 2027 will still be required to take the English II STAAR\u00ae exam, but starting with the class of 2028, it will not be required. Beginning and middle of year exams will be optional for high school.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>What\u2019s Changing for Grades 3\u20138<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HB 8 removes the previous STAAR\u00ae exam for <a href=\"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/schools-districts\/texas\/elementary-school\/\">elementary<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/schools-districts\/texas\/middle-school\/\">middle school<\/a> students in grades 3\u20138 and replaces it with a <\/span><b>three-window testing model<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Beginning-of-Year (BOY) assessment (September)<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Middle-of-Year (MOY) assessment (January and February)<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>End-of-Year (EOY) assessment (May, except for the writing portion of RLA assessments which will be done separately in April)<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This approach reflects a growing preference for assessing growth over time rather than relying solely on a single, summative exam. The new tests are expected to be <\/span>shorter<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span>more frequent<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with results required to be delivered to teachers <\/span>within 48 hours<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This rapid turnaround is designed to help educators act quickly on data to address learning gaps during the school year, not after.<\/p>\n<p>One important note on this model is that only the beginning and middle of year assessment are adaptive assessments. The end of year assessment will not be adaptive and must remain static so that the released items are the same ones that students saw on the exam for transparency and comparison purposes.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Why the Change? The Push and Pull of Testing Reform<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HB 8 was driven by concerns over the high-stakes nature of STAAR\u00ae, long testing sessions, delayed results, and questions about fairness and transparency in how schools are assessed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But the debate was not about whether change was needed, it was about who should develop and oversee the new tests.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>The Central Controversy: Who Builds the Tests?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A key sticking point during the legislative process was whether the state should develop its own tests or continue using third-party vendors.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Some lawmakers<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, including HB 8 author Rep. Ken King, argued for <\/span>state-developed assessments with educator input, asserting this approach would increase transparency and ensure tests better reflect classroom realities.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Others, including Rep. Mary Ann Perez, raised concerns that if the Texas Education Agency (TEA) both develops the tests and determines accountability outcomes, it could create a conflict of interest, especially in districts where the state has the authority to take over underperforming schools.<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>The Final Compromise<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HB 8 outlines a <\/span>hybrid model<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">BOY and MOY assessments<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> may be administered by <\/span>approved third-party vendors<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">EOY assessments<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will be <\/span>state-developed<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with educator involvement.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This compromise attempts to balance transparency, educator voice, and public trust, though some critics remain skeptical about the degree of independence in assessment oversight.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Supporters and Critics: What Each Side Is Saying<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>Supporters Highlight the Following Benefits:<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Reduced test anxiety<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Moving away from a single, high-stakes exam should alleviate pressure on students.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>More instructional value<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Ongoing assessment enables teachers to intervene earlier and support students throughout the year.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Faster data<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: With 48-hour result turnaround, teachers can make timely decisions based on real student performance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Greater educator involvement<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The promise of tests developed with teacher input has been well received.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Improved transparency<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: New standards for TEA oversight aim to rebuild public trust in the accountability process.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Critics Raise Key Concerns:<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>More testing, not less<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Three shorter tests may still result in more time spent on assessment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Potential conflict of interest<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: TEA\u2019s role as both test developer and accountability enforcer continues to worry some educators and lawmakers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Name change without real reform<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Critics argue that this is a rebranding of STAAR\u00ae, not a fundamental shift in testing philosophy.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>What Educators Need to Do Now<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>For High School Teachers<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No immediate changes. Continue <a href=\"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/schools-districts\/texas\/high-school\/\">preparing students for EOCs<\/a> using TEKS-aligned instruction and proven strategies for standards mastery. End of year exams will remain the only required exams, but beginning and middle of year exams will be optional at the high school level.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>For Elementary and Middle School Teachers<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Start preparing for a system built around <\/span>growth<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, not just end-of-year performance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Key instructional shifts:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Prioritize progress monitoring<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: BOY and MOY assessments provide earlier insight into student learning. Use this data to adjust instruction and target interventions before gaps widen.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Plan for intervention<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Act on early data to support students who are not on track, especially in the first semester.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Focus on standards mastery<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: With shorter, more frequent assessments, teachers will need to reinforce TEKS standards in smaller, more focused increments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Revise pacing<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Consider how the three assessment windows impact instructional time, remediation planning, and curriculum mapping.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many of these shifts align with best practices already in place: formative assessment, responsive instruction, and data-driven teaching. HB 8 simply makes them more urgent.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How Progress Learning Helps Texas Educators Adapt<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether it\u2019s STAAR\u00ae or the BOY\/MOY\/EOY structure, one thing remains constant: Texas students must demonstrate mastery of the <\/span><b>TEKS standards<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Progress Learning is built for exactly this.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Fully TEKS-Aligned Across All Grades and Subjects<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Progress Learning offers <\/span><b>comprehensive TEKS alignment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in ELA, math, science, and social studies for grades K\u201312. Every item is designed to match the rigor and structure of Texas standards, ensuring students are preparing for what they\u2019ll be assessed on\u2014regardless of format.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Built for Growth Monitoring<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With assessments across the year, <\/span>progress monitoring<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> becomes essential. Progress Learning provides:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/solutions\/assessment-tool-for-teachers\/\"><b>Custom and pre-built assessments<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> aligned to specific TEKS<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Immediate results<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for real-time instructional decisions. In the new testing system, educators will receive results much more quickly (48 hours). Getting results quickly combined with Progress Learning\u2019s ability quickly and easily assign remediation to students in one click can significantly streamline the process of helping students improve.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/solutions\/independent-practice-tool\/\"><b>Personalized study plans<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to target each student\u2019s learning gaps<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/solutions\/progress-monitoring-tools\/\"><b>Actionable reporting<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to track student growth and standard mastery<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Adaptive Intervention Through Liftoff<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For students who need support reaching grade level, <\/span>Liftoff<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <a href=\"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/our-products\/liftoff-adaptive-intervention-2-8\/\">our adaptive intervention tool<\/a> for grades 2\u20138, delivers intensive support that accelerates progress. Liftoff uses built-in diagnostics or <\/span>NWEA MAP RIT scores<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to generate targeted, personalized learning paths. This is especially valuable under HB 8, where early intervention following BOY assessments will be critical.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Preparing for 2027\u201328 and Beyond<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HB 8 changes the structure of testing in Texas, but it doesn\u2019t change the goal: helping all students reach grade-level proficiency and beyond.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As educators prepare for this shift, Progress Learning provides the comprehensive support needed to make the transition successful:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TEKS-aligned content and assessments<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tools for timely intervention and progress tracking<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flexibility to adapt to new timelines and instructional demands<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Resources that support data-driven decision-making year-round<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the name STAAR\u00ae may disappear, the need for rigorous instruction, standards-based practice, and informed teaching decisions remains. Progress Learning is here to help you focus on what matters most: your students\u2019 success.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Fill out the form below to see how Progress Learning can help support your school during the transition.<\/p>\n<script charset=\"utf-8\" type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/js.hsforms.net\/forms\/embed\/v2.js\"><\/script>\r\n<script>\r\n  hbspt.forms.create({\r\n    region: \"na1\",\r\n    portalId: \"23272034\",\r\n    formId: \"3bd16ddb-4120-40f2-ae04-334b789b41ff\"\r\n  });\r\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Texas is about to experience its most significant change in student assessment in over a decade. With the signing of House Bill 8 (HB 8) into law in September 2025, STAAR\u00ae testing in grades 3\u20138 will be phased out and replaced with a new three-window assessment system starting in the 2027\u201328 school year. While the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":18793,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"STAAR\u00ae is on its way out \ud83d\udc4b and Texas is moving to a 3-window testing model starting in 2027-28. What does #HB8 mean for your classroom, and how can you stay ahead of the change? \ud83e\udd14\ud83d\udcda #TXed #AssessmentReform #ProgressMonitoring","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[299],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-texas"],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Blog-Texas-House-Bill-8.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18792"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18792\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18855,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18792\/revisions\/18855"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/progresslearning.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}