TEMPLE, Texas — The Temple Independent School District Board of Trustees voted on a resolution to request the STAAR test be waived for the current school year, Monday night.
The resolution said the impacts of COVID-19 on student learning could cause lower scores that would affect students both academically and emotionally.
The resolution asks that Superintendent Bobby Ott request the waiver from Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath.
The resolution also requests the commissioner waive the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for students of any grade.
The resolution said the number of COVID-19 cases during the pandemic has caused a significant reduction in the number of Temple ISD students receiving face-to-face instruction for the 2020-2021 school year, from 8,720 students in the Fall of 2019 to 5,928 in the Fall of 2020. The rapid transition from face-to-face to hybrid and online instruction has already had negative effects on student learning outcomes, according to Raise Your Hand Texas.
The board also said it is likely that Temple ISD students will continue to experience the impact of learning loss in the 2020-2021 school year.
In light of the impacts of the pandemic on student learning outcomes, administering mandatory state assessments in the 2020-2021 school year will not provide the District with effective information about student performance, according to the board.
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