logo
Brief Publisher Logo
FACT BRIEF

Can Texas students formally opt out of the STAAR test?

By Drew Shaw
View this fact brief on Fort Worth Report
Copy link
email
Copy featured image
email
NO

Federal and state law requires all students in third to eighth grades to take grade-level tests like the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, with certain “unschooled asylees or refugees” as exceptions. 

The tests track how schools are educating students and how the students are receiving instruction. 

Families can temporarily remove their child from a class or school activity if they object to participation, but Texas law specifically does not allow families to do so to “avoid a test." Having a high number of students avoid STAAR would skew the data the state hopes to obtain.

A parent can keep their child home on test days, but they will likely meet pushback from their district, and the student may be marked as absent. If a student attends on a test day and refuses to take the exam, they will receive a score of zero.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Texas Education Agency What Families Should Know about STAAR
Texas Education Agency Texas Assessment Program Updates
Texas Education Code Title 2 Public Education TAC §101.3011
Texas Education Code Title 2 Public Education § 26.010
Txedrights.net OPTING OUT – Step by Step
Community Voices for Public Ed Opt Out FAQ
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Fort Worth Report
The Fort Worth Report is a 501(c)(3) organization that launched April 12, 2021. This new media outlet is built on a foundation of local leadership and local investment. It provides community-sourced journalism that exclusively supports and reports on the Fort Worth community with fact-based, thoughtful and contextual coverage without bias or predetermined agendas. The enterprise is governed by a mission statement, bylaws, and an organizational structure that ensures it remains faithful to these foundational principles.
FACT BRIEF BY
Brief Publisher Logo
Latest fact briefs
facebook
twitter
email
email
About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.