Blog Stage Five: Original editorial or commentary #1

In my last post, I wrote about Mimi Swarts' article on the STAAR Test. You can read my critique here. This post, I will be offering my own opinion on the topic.


The STAAR test (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) has been recently criticized for being an inappropriate method of assessing the readiness of students in Texas. It has been discovered that the STAAR tests are written at a level of up to three grades higher than the level of the students testing.

 This is a controversial topic for a variety of reasons. Students who don’t pass the series of assessments of held back until they can. This prevents potential good students from moving on to the next grade and can even disallow students to graduate high school.

According to usnews.com, Texas is ranked number 37 in education out of the 50 U.S. states. There is definitely something wrong with our education system. What? I can not say, but the STAAR test could play. In the wrong environment, forcing a child to take a test that is out of their league can cause them to lose self-confidence and drive. Two necessary attributes if one is to become successful in life. By this logic, Texas could be considered to be setting our students up for failure (although, entirely unintentional).

Although, I do not think that all the blame should be put on the STAAR test. I think there are many other factors that lead our society away from academic excellence. Such as the environment that Texas students find themselves in. especially in high school. Kids are constantly surrounded by drugs, sex, alcohol, violence, and are pressured into situations that reduce their self-confidence and affect the way they walk through life. I think that if we, society, can change the environment that current students find themselves in, into once that encourages educations, with words like “you are really smart, keep up the good work” instead of “you such a geek”. Intelligence should be admired and praised, not discouraged and made fun of.

If we, society, were able to change the environment our students find themselves in most often, into a friendly, welcoming place, that encourages intelligence, I don't it that the STAAR test being a little bit to hard would affect very much. This is because when you encourage kids to learn, and show them that learning can be quite enjoyable, they will respond with a bigger drive and lust for knowledge that will allow them to advance quicker.

I don't think should lower the difficulty of standardized testing and become content with current education  levels. Instead, we should work towards a goal of being able to concur difficult tests at younger ages.