Replacing STAAR®: What Do We Know About the New Student Success Tool?

A major shift is underway in Texas education. STAAR®, the state’s long-standing accountability test, is being replaced by the new Student Success Tool (SST). With the passage of House Bill 8, educators across the state are preparing for this transition, which brings significant changes to the testing calendar, assessment structure, and instructional implications.

Here’s a complete look at what we know so far about SST, and what it means for your campus.

Why Is STAAR® Being Replaced?

For years, the STAAR® test has been a once-a-year measure, largely designed for accountability. While useful for reporting, its results often arrived too late to make a difference in the classroom. The new Student Success Tool shifts the focus toward real-time instructional support while still serving accountability purposes.

It’s a move toward more actionable data, delivered more frequently, so educators can intervene and remediate throughout the year—not just react after results are published.

STAAR® vs. SST: A Side-by-Side Comparison

This new structure enables educators to gather timely insights and support students before year-end assessments take place.

Student Success Tool: What We Know So Far

Grades 3–8: Structured, Frequent Assessments

Beginning of Year (BOY)

• When: September
• Format: Adaptive
• Purpose: Establish a student’s baseline and identify starting points
• What it measures: Student readiness and current understanding of TEKS
• How it helps: Early identification of students who need intervention
  

Middle of Year (MOY)

• When: January–February
• Format: Adaptive
• Purpose: Check on student progress and evaluate instructional effectiveness
• What it measures: Growth from BOY; mid-year proficiency
• How it helps: Enables instructional adjustments and refines intervention strategies
  

End of Year (EOY)

• When: May (with a separate April writing assessment for RLA)
• Format: Static (non-adaptive)
  • Important Note: EOY must be static to ensure all students receive the same test—allowing for a full annual test release and transparent comparisons across students and schools.
• Purpose: Measure final proficiency and gather accountability data
• What it measures: Year-end mastery of TEKS standards
• How it helps: Contributes to accountability ratings and paints a comprehensive picture of student growth

Language Support: Spanish-language assessments follow the same structure and design as English versions.

High School: Minimal Changes, One Major Update

While the new SST structure mostly impacts grades 3–8, there are a few updates for high schools to be aware of:

• Most state tests remain unchanged.
• BOY and MOY assessments are optional and not required at the high school level.
• The English II End-of-Course (EOC) exam will be eliminated starting with the Class of 2028.
  

Writing Assessment: A Standalone, Open-Ended Component

Changes to the writing portion of the Reading Language Arts (RLA) assessment apply across tested grades and are worth noting on their own:

• Writing will now feature open-ended response questions instead of strictly multiple-choice or short-form responses.
• These questions will be administered separately in April, ahead of the EOY exam.
• This new format provides more time for students to complete constructed responses and better demonstrate their writing skills.
• All writing responses will be scored and reported together with the EOY results in May.
  

How Should Schools Prepare?

We’re still waiting on full guidance from the Texas Education Agency (TEA), but there are several things educators can do right now:

• Stay Aligned to the TEKS: The TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) standards—and the rigor behind them—are not changing. Instructional content and assessments aligned to TEKS remain your best bet.

• Adopt Formative and Interim Assessments: With the new model emphasizing adaptivity and frequent data points, districts should be leveraging assessment platforms that support ongoing progress monitoring, not just summative practice.

Look for Tools That Reflect SST’s Structure: Seek platforms that…

• Support BOY, MOY, and EOY preparation
• Provide adaptive diagnostic options
• Offer TEKS-aligned content across subjects
• Deliver fast turnaround on results
• Include intervention and remediation pathways
  

Why It Matters: From Compliance to True Student Support

The SST isn’t just a new testing schedule—it’s an opportunity to rethink how we use data to support students all year long.

For years, educators have asked for assessments that do more than just sort students at the end of the year. SST is the state’s response to that request. It introduces shorter, more frequent assessments that can actually inform teaching and help identify students in need of support sooner.

How Progress Learning Supports the Transition

Progress Learning is uniquely positioned to help Texas educators adapt to the Student Success Tool with confidence. Here’s how:

• BOY, MOY, and EOY Readiness: Our assessments mirror the new testing cadence with pre-built and customizable options.
• TEKS-Aligned Content: Every question and video is written to the rigor of Texas standards.
• Fast, Flexible Reporting: Monitor growth, pinpoint gaps, and adjust instruction in real time.
• Adaptive Intervention: Our Liftoff program uses diagnostics (or your NWEA MAP data) to create individualized student paths.
• Remediation That’s Immediate: Click-to-remediate features and individualized study plans ensure no student falls through the cracks.
  

We’ve worked with over 4,500 campuses nationwide, including many in Texas. In a recent study conducted by Johns Hopkins University in Forney ISD, students using Progress Learning outperformed their peers on STAAR Math by more than 14 points, and our impact was especially strong among SPED, Black, and Hispanic students.

A New Era for Assessment in Texas

The Student Success Tool is more than a rebrand—it’s a fundamental change in how we think about student assessment. It offers the chance to move beyond once-a-year testing and into a model that supports students continuously throughout the year.

Districts that act early and align with the structure and purpose of SST will be best positioned for success—and for better student outcomes.

Want to get ahead of the curve? Schedule a demo below to see how Progress Learning supports TEKS-aligned instruction, intervention, and assessments.