The Texas Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to eliminate the STAAR test — the state's standardized test for public schools — while also overhauling how schools are rated and limiting legal challenges that have delayed accountability scores in recent years.
House Bill 4, introduced by Republican Rep. Brad Buckley of Salado, would get rid of the STAAR test in favor of three shorter tests administered throughout the school year. According to the bill, scores would be compared to "nationally comparative results" for their grade and subject. The results would be available within 24 hours to help teachers adjust instruction quickly.
HB 4 passed on a vote of 23 to 8 on Tuesday; it now heads back to the House for final approval before it can be signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott. But with just days remaining in this year's legislative session, time is running short for lawmakers to fully pass the measure.
Beyond testing changes, HB 4 would also make changes to how the Texas Education Agency (TEA) grades public schools. The bill would require the TEA to release school ratings every year, update the accountability system at least once every five years and get legislative approval for major changes to how schools are graded.
Currently, the TEA uses an A-F grading system to rate schools and districts, with STAAR scores making up the largest portion of the overall grade. These ratings can have serious consequences: in 2023, the state used them to justify taking over Houston ISD — the state's largest district — after one high school received repeated failing scores.
"What gets measured gets fixed, but you can't fix what you can't measure," said Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Republican from Houston. "HB 4 ensures accountability ratings are released clearly, fairly and with purpose to measure performance, report results and help schools improve."
These changes come after years of legal battles. In 2023, several school districts sued to block the release of that year's A-F ratings, arguing the state changed its scoring system without enough notice. A judge blocked the release, but that decision was later overturned. In 2024, more districts sued over a new computer grading system, and a judge again halted the release of ratings, which are still on hold.
To address these challenges, HB 4 bans the use of public funds to fight the release of school ratings and creates a faster legal process for related lawsuits. The bill allows the attorney general to ask the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court to appoint a special three-judge panel to hear cases challenging how the state funds or oversees public schools – including its accountability system.
"Texas' constitutionally required accountability system will be protected by putting an end to taxpayer-funded lawsuits to ensure the focus remains on students, not lawfare," Bettencourt said on Tuesday. "It's about securing the future of public education in Texas."
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