Initial STAAR Standards Called Too Lenient

By: The Associated Press Email

Posted: Wed 10:51 AM, Jun 06, 2012

Texas high school students can pass most of the state's new end-of-course exams this year by answering fewer than half the questions correctly.

The Houston Chronicle reports Wednesday that that has prompted complaints from a top business group and the head of the Houston School District. Both say the initial standards aren't tough enough.

The standards are being phased in, starting lower this year and increasing through 2016 to give students time to adjust to the more-difficult new STAAR exams.

But freshmen can now pass the algebra I and biology exams by getting 20 of 54 questions, or 37 percent, correct.

The passing standards are key to students' success on the exams. State law now requires students to pass 15 of the tests throughout high school to graduate.

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Initial STAAR Standards Called Too Lenient

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