Created by Terry Wyatt Executive Director, Tri-County SSA [email protected].

Graduation and State Testing Requirements in

TexasCreated by Terry Wyatt

Executive Director, Tri-County [email protected]

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.)

To Whom does this apply?

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.

How do I graduate from HS in Texas?

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

First: Required Number 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.

Second: Correct Set of Credits

English Language Arts Math Science Social Studies Economics Academic Electives Languages other than English Physical Education Speech Fine Arts Elective Courses

Graduation Course 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

Third: State 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.

Focus: New Testing 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.

Graduation Requirements

STAAR EOC and Recommended & Distinguished Plan

English Math Science Soc. Std.

English I Alg. I BiologyWorldGeography

English II Geometry Chemistry U. S. History

English III Alg. II Physics World History

Credit Required, STAAR:EOC Required

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

Graduation “Extras”

STAAR EOC and Minimum Plan





Credit Required, STAAR:EOC Required. If Chemistry or Physics is taken, than the other course must also be taken. IPC can be taken instead, and does not have an EOC test.If taken as part of minimum plan, STAAR:EOC Required. Must take one of these two courses.Will be required to take either: Chemistry, Physics, World Geography, or World History as an additional academic elective credit.

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

Score Types

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.

Examples:

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

Example List

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

Scale Score

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.

Next Steps

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.

Students in Special Education

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

When a test does not exist:

“M” Operational Spring 2012





Not operational for spring of 2012Operational for spring of 2012













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)

15% rule and Sp. Ed. 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.)

Special Education Students

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

Some Final 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.

Other Graduation Issues

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.

15 % Rule

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.assessme

nt/staar/

Minimum Plan Issues

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/



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.

Middle School and EOC

Typical HS Course Sequence



English II Geometry Chemistry World History

English III Alg. II Physics U. S. History

Sequence not required by TEA

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.

STAAR EOC

Created by Terry Wyatt Executive Director, Tri-County SSA [email protected].

Documents

minimum score

satisfactory score

required cumulative

minimum plan cumulative

new graduation requirements

scale score

college ready score

students cumulative