House Defunds STAAR In Budget Proposal
By: Birttany Escobar
Updated: January 15, 2013
The House budget proposal defunded
STAAR testing.
"My opinion is we shouldn't be taking standardized test at all," said 9th grader, Shayla NeCaise, "because we aren't standard student."
NeCaise said since the start of STAAR testing she, along with several of her class mates, have been under extreme pressure.
"It's just so hard," she said.
Nancy sharp with LISD said it looks as though STAAR testing could start up another debate, but this time over money.
"People are feeling like its not really meeting the original intention, which is to make sure that we are meeting the needs of all students," said Sharp.
She said the Texas House budget proposal for 2014 and 2015, does not provide funding for the standardized testing.
The Senate, however, has set a preliminary annual budget for about $94 million.
By the House defunding the testing, Sharp said they would be going against the No Child Left Behind Act, which requires testing at the elementary, middle and high school levels.
"If there was no funding, no testing, then that certainly would put us out of compliance," she said.
Sharp says it's too early to tell what will happen.
The budget is one thing that is passed usually in the 11th hour, so I think that they are probably just sending out a message to say 'We are hearing from our constituents, they don't like this and so were sending a message as well about how we feel about the state testing.'"
LISD said they'd like to see changes to the STAAR test including the rigorous requirements, as well as the excessive amount of days set aside for testing, they say its simply too many.
