House committee advances HB 8 to replace STAAR with three‑part assessment, amid debate over testing, scoring and accountability

The House Committee on Public Education moved House Bill 8 forward on a party‑line vote after more than three hours of testimony that alternated between support for a new, “instructionally supportive” assessment program and warnings that the bill could merely repackage STAAR with added burdens.

HB 8 would replace the current single end‑of‑year STAAR exam with a three‑administration model — beginning‑, middle‑ and end‑of‑year tests — and require the end‑of‑year exam to be criterion‑referenced to Texas standards (TEKS). The measure directs the Texas Education Agency to publish cut scores and methodologies in advance, create teacher review processes for items and scoring, and set up an advisory process around performance standards.

Supporters, including Trista Bishop Watt of Good Reason Houston and Katrina Fraser of the Commit Partnership, told the committee the bill shifts assessment toward instruction. “HB 8 replaces STAAR with a modern, student‑centered system that prioritizes learning, delivers timely data and strengthens public trust,” Bishop Watt said. Danny…