Texas STAAR Redesign: How to get ready for the new item types for the 2022-2023 School year

As you prepare for the Texas STAAR, you will need to pay close attention to how the redesign affects your students. We’re here to get you and your students ready for the upcoming test. TeacherMade makes it easy to prep for standardized tests. Read on to see how we fit into your class’s review.

TX STAAR 2022-2023 Redesign Basics

The Texas STAAR redesign was implemented in House Bill (HB) 3906 in 2019. You will see the redesign affect your 2022-2023 school year. Here are the main components to be aware of:

- Online testing
- Accommodations
- New question formats
- Cross-curricular reading passages
- Evidence-based writing assessment

Let’s break down what each new component means and how you can use TeacherMade as you test prep.

Move to online test for better accommodations

One of the most significant shifts for the STAAR Redesign is moving the test entirely online. This will allow for students who need accommodations to have better resources. Here are some ways online standardized tests accommodate diverse learners:

- Read-out-loud texts, questions, and directions
- Calculators
- Differentiated timelines
- Differentiated and shortened sections
- And more!

Resources for online testing and accommodations

If online tests are a new challenge, don’t worry, as your best bet is to simulate testing conditions as often as possible. With TeacherMade, you can integrate online assessments and worksheets into your everyday routine.

New Question Types on STAAR

There are a variety of questions your students could come across on the new STAAR redesign. Here’s what you can expect:

- Equation Editor: Students will be able to give information in a variety of forms using built-in equation editors on the STAAR test.
- Text Entry: Students can respond to open-ended questions with text entry.
- Graphs: Students will create lines, graphs, bar graphs, and other related functions.
- Number Lines: Students will give answers on a number line.
- Inline Choice: Students use a drop-down menu to select an answer instead of a multiple-choice question.
- Hot Spot: Answers are chosen by hovering over a specific point of reading or graphic.
- Hot Text: Students will need to highlight relevant details in the text to support questions.
- Fraction Model: Students will visually model a fraction by dividing an object into numerator and denominator.
- Drag and Drop: Students will move words or objects around to answer various questions.
- Multipart: Questions will have multiple parts. This may often involve an answer (part A) and justification (part B).
- Match Table Grid: Students classify objects or words onto tables.
- Multiselect: Students can now identify multiple correct answers.
- Short Constructed Response
- Long Constructed Response

As you can tell, there will be a large variety of new digital question types on the Texas STAAR redesign. These questions will be the front and center of end-of-course testing with multiple choice caps.

Multiple choice caps

There has been a cap on multiple-choice questions. The official legislation states that no more than 75% of the test can be multiple choice. This means that 25% (or more) will consist of the new question types. The state has said that they intend for over 25% to be new question types. Prep your students for these new types of questions.

Resources for new STAAR question types

With TeacherMade, you can give your students firsthand experience with various question types to get them ready for STAAR testing. With TeacherMade’s powerful technology, you can make digital worksheets, assignments, and assessments that have a variety of question formats:

- Multiple choice– 4 types!
- Short answer
- Dropdown
- Short constructed response
- Long constructed response
- Matching
- True/ false
- Checkbox
- Hotspots

Math teachers also can create assignments that use the same tools that the STAAR tests offer. TeacherMade offer versatility with these response types:

- Numbers
- Fractions
- Mixed fractions
- Algebraic expressions
- Equation editor
- Graphing (coming soon)
- Number lines (coming soon)

Your students shouldn’t be shocked by the format of the new STAAR question types. With TeacherMade, they can prepare every day using digital worksheets.

Other STAAR updates

The most significant update to STAAR is the new question types and digital format. But we still want to make sure you know about the rest of the test. Here are a few more updates:

- Cross-curricular passages: Students will be asked to read passages that involve a variety of subjects. For example, you will see science passages in the reading language arts section.
- Evidence-based writing: Students will now respond to a reading selection when tested in the writing portion instead of a standalone prompt.

Get ready for Texas STAAR with TeacherMade

It can feel daunting preparing students for a test that now has a new format. But you don’t have to throw out your typical review materials. Repurpose them with TeacherMade. TeacherMade makes converting your assignment, worksheets, and test into a digital format easy. Simply upload your PDFs into TeacherMade. These documents become your background. Then, use our drag and drop interface to put various question types anywhere on the document. Converting your PDFs, Microsoft Docs, and images take just a few minutes. You can even set your assignment to self-score to save even more time!