The Texas House approved a bill that replaces the state’s STAAR exam with three shorter tests given over the course of the school year starting in 2027.
While proponents of the bill said the change will reduce pressure on students, opponents criticized the new tests as being too similar to the existing STAAR exam.
The bill now moves to the state Senate for consideration.
Hundreds of Texans, including educator and State Board of Education candidate Tiffany Perkins, rallied outside the state Capitol on Tuesday to fight back against a proposed social studies overhaul and a required reading list that puts emphasis on Christianity at the expense of other religions.
The Republican-dominated SBOE heard public testimony on both items today, and are slated to cast a preliminary vote on each item by the end of the week.
Democrats on the State Board of Education are asking to pause deliberation over an overhaul to the state’s social studies curriculum after a content advisor in charge of the rewrite received a financial contribution from an influential conservative group in Texas without disclosing it to the board.
The politicization of Texas classrooms continues as the State Board of Education (SBOE) will deliberate rushed social studies teaching standards next week that put a greater emphasis on Western and Texas history at the expense of other cultures.
