Graduation and State Testing Requirements in Texas

1. Graduation and State Testing Requirements in Texas Created by Terry Wyatt Executive Director, Tri-County SSA twyatt@tricty.esc14.net

2. To Whom does this apply? • The new graduation requirements apply to incoming freshman in the school year 2011-12. • All persons who started high school previous to the 2011-12 school year continue to be subject to the graduation requirements which applied to them when they entered. (Most recently that would be 11th grade exit exams.)

3. How do I graduate from HS in Texas? • First, you have to have the appropriate NUMBER of course credits. • Second, you have to have the correct SET of course credits. • Third, you have to meet the testing requirements under state assessment: • In the 12 core subjects which are a part of your graduation plan, you must meet the cumulative score requirement on a subject by subject basis. • For Recommended and Distinguished graduation plans, there are additional requirements.

4. First: Required Number of Credits • The State of Texas has a minimum number of credits that students are required to earn in order to graduate under each of the Texas graduation plans. • Each school district MAY require additional credits, but does not have to. • State credit requirements: • Minimum: 22 • Recommended: 26 • Distinguished: 26

5. Second: Correct Set of Credits • There is no short or simple way to detail this information. • There are three graduation plans. Each plan requires a different set of course credits. However, inside of each plan, there are choices that the student gets to make. • On the next slide, I list the various disciplines from which the graduation plans require credits to be earned. • The 2011-12 Graduation Plan side by side is available on the TEA and Tri-County Websites.

6. Graduation Course Requirements • English Language Arts • Math • Science • Social Studies • Economics • Academic Electives • Languages other than English • Physical Education • Speech • Fine Arts • Elective Courses

7. Third: State Testing Requirements • The student must earn the required cumulative score in each of the 4 core academic disciplines. • Tests are required in the following four core academic disciplines: • English Language Arts 3 • Math 3 • Science 3 • Social Studies 3

8. Focus: New Testing Requirements • Now that we see the big picture of graduation requirements, let’s focus on the details of how the new testing requirements affect a student. • First, we need to review 4 terms which TEA uses to define how you graduate under this new testing program.

9. Graduation Requirements • Student must achieve a cumulative score equal to the product of the number of tests taken and the scale score for satisfactory performance. • A student must meet the minimum score for the score to count toward the student’s cumulative score. • A College Ready score is indicative that a student is ready for Freshman coursework without remedial classes at the university. • Minimum Plan – cumulative score is based on the number of courses for which the STAAR exists.

10. STAAR EOC and Recommended & Distinguished Plan

11. Graduation “Extras” • Recommended Graduation Plan • Student must get satisfactory score on Algebra II • Student must get satisfactory score on English III • Distinguished Achievement Program • Student must get college ready score on Algebra II • Student must get college ready score on English III

12. STAAR EOC and Minimum Plan

13. Score Types • Minimum Score • Lowest score which can be used to meet the cumulative score requirement – not “passing”. • Satisfactory Score • “Passing” score • College Readiness Standard • Establishes a performance which is equal to that in order to participate in a Freshman College course for that subject. • Cumulative Score • Total score for subject

14. Examples: • The following slides will show several example students and how their test scores will establish their ability to graduate. • The examples are made using a graduation spreadsheet tool developed by Terry Wyatt. This spreadsheet tool is also available free, on the Tri-County website. You may use it to post your scores, or to “play” with how score requirements work.

15. Example List • Joe Smith – Initial Description • Susan Jones – Minimum Plan • Clark Kent – Recommended Plan • Peter Parker – Distinguished Plan • Susan Jones – MP Did not meet Requirements • Clark Kent – RP, Did not meet Requirements

16. Scale Score • In all of these scores I have MADE UP a range for the scale scores. • TEA has yet to publish the scale scores for the STAAR-EOC tests. These scores are expected to be published in spring 2012, before the tests are given for the first time. • My Example • Full Range: 0 – 1000 • Minimum Score 650 • Satisfactory Score 700 • College Ready Score 875

22. Next Steps • We have looked at 3 students who all met the requirements for their graduation plan with respect to state assessment. • Now lets look at the same three students, and instead look at examples of them NOT meeting standards for the state assessment requirements.

26. Students in Special Education • There are things that the ARD committee can address and support for the special education student. • When the student is on the minimum plan. • There are also some things that the ARD committee cannot do. • When the student is on the Recommended or Distinguished plan, the student will have to meet all testing requirements.

27. When a test does not exist: • Special education student is enrolled in an EOC class. • Special education student is eligible for STAAR-M or STAAR-Alt version of the EOC test. • Then, the special education student does not take ANY EOC test for that subject. • ARDC should complete the eligibility checklist. • See Charts to Follow

28. “M” Operational Spring 2012

29. “M” Operational Spring 2013

30. “M” Operational Spring 2014

31. 15% rule and Sp. Ed. Students • To graduate on the Recommended or Distinguished graduation plan a SE student must: • Take and pass all required courses without modification. • Take and pass all required EOC exams without modification. • Be subject to 15% grade requirement. • SE students who take a modified or alternate version of an EOC test are not subject to 15 % requirement in that course. (TEA STAAR FAQ)

32. Special Education Students • Cumulative score requirement will not apply to a special education student who takes modified or alternative forms of the test. • ARD committee determines graduation. (TEA STAAR FAQ) • (First step is a deep plunge: Perhaps. In other words, when the ARDC modifies the first class and uses an EOC-M test, the student is a minimum plan graduate and the ARDC will determine graduation w/o cumulative score.)

33. Some Final Issues • There are a couple of other issues related to graduation and testing requirements, that we will address in this section.

34. Other Graduation Issues • Commissioner will determine a method to allow other scores (AP, SAT, IB or other) to meet the cumulative score requirement. • Commissioner may determine a method to allow other scores (PSAT or PLAN) to meet the cumulative score requirement. • Commissioners of TEA and higher education will study the feasibility of allowing students to satisfy STAAR EOC requirements by completing a dual credit course.

35. 15 % Rule • The graduation legislation requires that a student’s performance on their EOC test be counted as 15% of the student’s final grade. • Your district is probably working on how to implement this requirement, including: • How to get your software to manage the data, • To what degree the 15% will impact student grades and credit, • Which semester(s) the EOC will impact. • A SE student who takes a modified or alternate version of an EOC test, is not subject to the 15% rule in that course.

36. Minimum Plan Issues • If a MP student takes a non-required course which does have an EOC exam: • The student must take the exam. • The score must count for the 15% rule (Not M or Alt). • However, the student has the option of using the score for the cumulative score requirement. • This information was obtained from TEA STAAAR FAQ on the TEA Website: • http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/

37. Middle School and EOC • 2011-12 8th graders: • Required to take EOC • Will be used in their cumulative score • Appears to be district option to have all 8th grade students take STAAR along with EOC.

38. Typical HS Course Sequence

39. STAAR EOC • Tested 3 times per year: Fall, Spring, Summer • Each time – 12 tests given • All tests will have both paper and online models • Testing windows will likely span several weeks.