Multiple choice
Students select one best answer from several options.
Example After reading a short paragraph about weather tools, a student picks the sentence that best states the main idea.
TEA resourceSTAAR/SST
Verified Texas Education Agency updates on the Student Success Tool, STAAR/SST reading language arts item types, statewide data, and Teach BIG classroom resources.
Purpose
STAAR/SST Assessment Updates
Stay informed. Feel included. Find what you need.
Our Purpose
Our purpose is to keep Texas teachers informed, connected, and confident by making important assessment information easier to find, easier to understand, and easier to put into perspective.
You should not have to attend every meeting, search through dozens of webpages, or piece together scattered announcements to feel informed about the assessments that affect your students. You deserve a dependable place to begin, one that respects your time, connects you with original sources, and helps you understand what deserves your attention.
At Teach BIG, we do the legwork so you can spend less time searching for information and more time using it thoughtfully.
As Texas prepares for the transition from STAAR to the Student Success Tool (SST), our goal is to help teachers follow the changes without losing sight of what matters most: meaningful instruction and student growth.
SST updates
Newest TEA correspondence first. Teach BIG updates this list as official SST guidance is published.
HB 8 implementation updates and SST resources
TEA posted SST reporting prototype examples, expanded the HB 8 FAQ, and confirmed a required SST stand alone field test February 1 to 5, 2027. Alternative BOY and MOY assessment approvals are expected by October 2026.
2027 to 2028 Student Assessment Testing Calendar
The redesigned calendar lists BOY, MOY, and EOY windows for SST, replaces STAAR beginning 2027 to 2028, and notes SST Alternate (formerly STAAR Alternate 2) and updated reporting time frames under HB 8.
Source: School Year 2027-28 Student Assessment Testing Calendar (TEA)
House Bill 8 overview for school systems
HB 8 (89th Legislature, 2nd Called Session, 2025) replaces STAAR with the Student Success Tool (SST) in 2027 to 2028, adds BOY, MOY, and EOY assessments for grades 3 to 8 and Spanish 3 to 5, and eliminates the English II EOC beginning 2027 to 2028.
Source: Overview of House Bill 8 (TEA)
STAAR Interim Assessments final year
2026 to 2027 is the final school year districts may administer optional STAAR Interim Assessments. SST with BOY and MOY replaces interim assessments in 2027 to 2028.
Source: STAAR Interim Assessments (TEA)
These windows change how you plan the year. Our seminars show where each one belongs in daily reading and writing instruction. See the workshops
STAAR/SST question types
Redesigned STAAR/SST reading language arts tests include technology enhanced formats. Each card links to TEA documentation.
Multipart
Two or more linked questions share context; later parts may depend on earlier answers.
Example Part A asks which detail supports an inference; Part B asks the student to explain how that detail supports the answer.
TEA resourceMultiselect
Students choose more than one correct option from a list.
Example Select all phrases from the passage that show the character feels determined, not just one answer.
TEA resourceInline choice
Students choose the correct word or phrase inside a sentence or paragraph.
Example A sentence about revising includes drop down menus where the student picks stronger verbs or transitions.
TEA resourceHot text
Students click or tap portions of a passage to show evidence or correct understanding.
Example Highlight the two sentences in the article that best prove the author values conservation.
TEA resourceText entry
Students type a brief response, such as a word, phrase, or short answer.
Example Type the vocabulary word that completes the analogy using context from the stanza.
TEA resourceShort constructed response (SCR)
Brief written response scored with a prompt specific rubric. On RLA tests, reading SCRs use a 0 to 2 point scale and writing SCRs use a 0 to 1 point scale.
Example In two or three sentences, explain how the diagram supports the section heading about the water cycle.
TEA resourceExtended constructed response (ECR)
Essay style response to a reading selection in informational or argumentative mode. Scored on a five point rubric for organization and development of ideas and conventions.
Example Write a multi paragraph response explaining how the author develops the central idea, using evidence from the passage.
TEA resource
Seeing the item type is the first step. Seminars show how those same formats show up in student work and how to practice them before test day. See the workshops
Charts from Top-Scoring STAAR Papers
Real sentences from TEA's released 5/5 ECR papers, Grades 3 to 8 and English I and II.
Thesis Sentences
Closing Sentences
Explanation Sentences
ECR Prompts
Evidence Sentences
Transition Words
Introductions
Question Types
Most Tested Standards
Editing and Revising Skills
Short Answer Examples
What Moves a Score Up
Thesis Statements: Answering the How or Why
Sentences by Score
Paper Length by Score
Paragraphs by Score
Evidence Count by Score
Transition Words by Score
Introduction and Conclusion by Score
What TEA Says at Each Score
Answering the Prompt by Score
Prompt Words by Score
What TEA Says at Each Score: All Grades
What TEA Says: Overview
Question Stems
Vocabulary in Context
Paired Passages
Passages by Year
Paired Passage Questions
Print a chart for your wall or hand it to students as a model. See the workshops
Data and statistics
I know the TEA website has so much information on it. This section points out the important things. Enjoy clicking below.
- Spring 2025 STAAR grades 3 to 8 results
Statewide release including RLA, mathematics, science, and grade 8 social studies.
- Spring 2025 STAAR end of course results
Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II, and U.S. History performance summary.
- 2025 STAAR combined results (PDF)
Historical meets and masters trends across grades 3 to 8 and EOC subjects.
- STAAR released test questions
Online test forms, answer keys, item rationales, and student expectations tested by grade.
- Texas Assessment Research Portal (TEA)
Aggregate STAAR data by state, region, district, or campus (access linked from TEA grades 3 to 8 results release).
When a number surprises you, bring it to a seminar and we will connect it to the lessons that move that skill. See the workshops
TEKS Connections
See how the reading and writing TEKS connect to each other, strand by strand. Free to download and print.
Flyers
Square social ready graphics on SST topics. Each image includes a TEA source line for sharing.
Read more from TEA: SST timeline (opens in a new tab) 
Read more from TEA: BOY, MOY, and EOY (opens in a new tab) 
Read more from TEA: Adaptive BOY and MOY (opens in a new tab) 
Read more from TEA: RLA writing window (opens in a new tab) 
Read more from TEA: February 2027 field test (opens in a new tab) 
Read more from TEA: Faster reporting (opens in a new tab)
Each graphic opens on its own so you can read it or share it. Want the classroom version of these announcements? See the workshops
