For more than 25 years, Texas has had a statewide student assessment program. Over time, changes to state and federal statute as well as to the state-mandated curriculum, currently the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), have required the Texas Education Agency to expand the state assessment program, making it more inclusive of and accessible to all student groups. Whether students are served through general education, special education, or bilingual/English as a Second Language programs, the state tests provide a snapshot of the degree to which students are learning the TEKS. As a result of this snapshot, students can receive the additional help they need to strengthen their knowledge and skills in core academic areas; and districts and campuses can evaluate the effectiveness of their instructional programs. In this way, the state assessment program plays an important role in helping all students—no matter what their instructional setting—reach their academic potential.
Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS)
TAKS measures a student’s mastery of the state-mandated curriculum, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). TAKS is administered for
- Grades 3–9 reading
- Grades 3–10 and exit level mathematics
- Grades 4 and 7 writing
- Grade 10 and exit level English language arts (ELA)
- Grades 5, 8, 10, and exit level science
- Grades 8, 10, and exit level social studies
Eligible students may meet testing requirements with Spanish-version TAKS assessments, available for
- Grades 3–5 reading
- Grades 3–5 mathematics
- Grade 4 writing
- Grade 5 science
TAKS includes an accommodated form called TAKS (Accommodated) for students served by special education who meet the eligibility requirements for certain specific accommodations. The TAKS (Accommodated) form includes format accommodations (larger font, fewer items per page, etc.) and contains no embedded field-test items. TAKS (Accommodated) is available for all English- and Spanish- version TAKS assessments.
Visit the TAKS webpage for additional information and resources.
End-of-Course Assessments
Senate Bill (SB) 1031 mandates the development of end-of-course (EOC) assessments for secondary-level courses in Algebra I, Algebra II, geometry, biology, chemistry, physics, English I, English II, English III, world geography, world history, and United States history. The purpose of the new EOC assessments is to measure students’ academic performance in core high school courses and to become part of the graduation requirements starting with the freshman class of 2011–2012. The EOC assessments for lower-level courses will include questions that determine readiness for advanced coursework. The assessments for higher-level courses will include a separate series of special purpose questions that measure college readiness and the need for developmental coursework in higher education. In addition, the score a student achieves on each EOC assessment will be worth 15% of the student’s final grade for that course.
Visit the EOC Assessments webpage for additional information and resources.
TAKS–Modified (TAKS–M)
TAKS–Modified (TAKS–M) is an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards and is designed for students receiving special education services who meet participation requirements for TAKS–M and for whom TAKS is not appropriate. TAKS–M covers the same grade-level content as TAKS, but the assessment itself has been simplified through modifications in format (larger font, fewer items per page, etc.) and test design (fewer answer choices, simpler vocabulary and sentence structure, etc.). TAKS–M is administered in English for the same grades and subjects as TAKS. Spanish-version TAKS–M assessments are not available.
Visit the TAKS–M Assessments webpage or the Special Education Assessments webpage for additional information and resources.
TAKS–Alternate (TAKS–Alt)
TAKS–Alternate (TAKS–Alt) is an alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standards and is designed for students with significant cognitive disabilities who meet the participation requirements. Unlike other statewide assessments in Texas, TAKS–Alt is not a traditional paper or multiple-choice test. Instead, the assessment involves teachers observing students as they complete teacher-designed activities that link to the grade-level TEKS curriculum. Teachers then score student performance using the TAKS–Alt rubric and submit results and evidence through an online instrument. TAKS–Alt is administered in the same grades and subjects as TAKS.
Visit the Special Education Assessments webpage for additional information and resources.
Linguistically accommodated testing (LAT)
Linguistically accommodated testing (LAT) is a special administration of TAKS for LEP-exempt recent immigrants. Linguistic accommodations are made in order to assist students in overcoming language barriers and to provide a meaningful assessment of academic knowledge and skills. LAT administrations of TAKS tests are available for
- Grades 3–8 reading and grade 10 English language arts (ELA)
- Grades 3–8 and 10 mathematics
- Grades 5, 8, and 10 science
LAT administrations of TAKS, including TAKS (Accommodated), and TAKS–M are provided for eligible students. Spanish-version LAT tests are available in the same grades and subjects as the Spanish versions of TAKS but are not available for LAT administrations of TAKS–M.
Visit the English Language Learners (ELL) Assessments webpage for additional information and resources.
The Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS)
The Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) is designed to assess the progress that limited English proficient (LEP) students make in learning the English language. TELPAS measures English language proficiency in the following domains:
TELPAS reading is a written assessment that measures annual growth in English language proficiency of LEP students in grades 2–12.
TELPAS reading (K–1), listening, speaking, and writing assessments enable teachers to holistically rate a LEP student’s English language proficiency based on daily interactions and observations of the student during classroom instruction. These observation protocols are administered for
- Grades K–1 reading, listening, speaking, and writing
- Grades 2–12 listening, speaking, and writing
Visit the English Language Learners (ELL) Assessments webpage for additional information and resources.
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