Nov. 17-20 SBOE Meeting Highlights
Part 2 of 2 (Part 1 articles here and here)

See also “Other SBOE Activity” in this issue)

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SBOE resources:
-- November meeting agendas.
-- Committee minutes.
-- SBOE info (links to meeting webcasts, board members, etc.).
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TEA Tells SBOE
Most Campuses Have Infrastructure
To Move to All-Online STAAR Testing
Although most Texas schools are close to having the infrastructure needed to administer all STAAR tests electronically, much more money and time will be needed to reach the 100 percent online testing goal by the 2022-23 deadline set by the Legislature.
iris-tian.03

That’s what TEA Student Assessment Director Iris Tian told the board during a briefing on the work being done to produce a transition plan to the Legislature on the portion of 2019’s HB3906 that requires, among other things, that by 2022-23, 100 percent of state student testing be conducted electronically and no more than 75 percent of state student test questions can be multiple choice.
  • Note: The release by the TEA of the 100 percent online STAAR testing transition plan by 2022-23 to the Legislature, which was due by Dec. 1, was pending at press time. The Texas A&M Education Research Center assisted the TEA in preparing the report. We’ll have a summary of the final report when published.

Costs
Tian said that districts and campuses are in much better shape now than they were eight or nine months ago in terms of devices and infrastructure due to the rush to convert to distance learning because of the pandemic.

The data presented by Tian reflects that Texas is close to having all of the infrastructure needed for most campuses to administer all assessments electronically (see graphic below).

100-percent-chart.02
Only a “small investment” in Internet connectivity is needed for a “subset” of mostly small and rural districts, she said.

Estimates given during the presentation for additional infrastructure costs to districts included:
  • $4 million in one-time costs for network infrastructure (fiber connectivity and internal connections), after deducting up to $11.1 million in federal E-Rate allocations.

  • $13 million annually for additional bandwidth and personnel-related costs (after deducting $19.3 million in federal E-Rate reimbursements for bandwidth. (E-Rate does not not cover technology personnel/training costs.)

    The presentation to the SBOE noted the various initiatives for infrastructure and/or devices — pre- and post-pandemic — 1) Classroom Connectivity ($25 million), 2) Operation Connectivity ($913 million) and the 3) Technology and Instructional Materials Allotment ($1 billion over the current biennium that can be used for various technology needs).

  • Note: Only a few hours before Tian’s briefing to the board, the governor and TEA jointly announced a $420 million, CARES Act funded, reimbursement program to help districts and charters recoup costs incurred for purchasing Wi-Fi hot spots and eLearning devices to help students learn remotely.
Tian said that one of the keys is to let districts know they need to apply for the federal E-Rate programs, which fund Internet connectivity projects. Although Texas schools were awarded $227 million in E-Rate funding in 2019, there is actually a lot more money out there that districts could get with E-Rate than they currently access, she said.

She noted that education service centers are among the places that often help districts with E-Rate applications, which are typically lengthy and complicated to complete.

100 Percent ≠ 100 Percent
In addressing various issues, Tian noted that:
  • The 100 percent testing goal isn’t really 100 percent. That’s because certain tests — such as the STAAR Alternate 2 test for students with severe cognitive disabilities, and the small number of students who need testing accommodations, but can’t be tested online (such as students with visual impairments), will still be given paper-and-pencil tests.

    Meanwhile, the 100 percent online requirements would apply to the STAAR for: 1) grades 3 to 8, 2) end-of-course tests and 3) Spanish versions of the tests.

    Also: More than 99 percent of students needing testing accommodations are already tested entirely online, as are students taking the TELPAS (Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System).

  • At least a two-year window will be needed to prepare students and teachers for online only testing, time that will be needed to get them comfortable with the online testing platform. “It’s not just about the technology,” Tian said.

  • Moving to all online testing will benefit HB3906’s related goal that caps multiple choice questions at 75 percent by 2022-23. Tian noted that the TEA is moving to more complex questions on the STAAR that would be very difficult (and expensive) to score via paper and pencil.

    Not moving to online testing, while maintaining the 75 percent multiple choice question cap, would increase the cost of STAAR testing to the state by $30 million.

  • The report includes a “deep dive” look at five states with characteristics similar to Texas to determine what made states (such as California) successful in moving to 100 percent online testing — and what didn't work in other states (such as Florida).

  • Other likely benefits for online only testing include faster test scoring and results, less complexity and waste, and better test security.

SBOE member Pat Hardy, R-Fort Worth, a retired public school teacher and administrator, said that districts will welcome the prospect of not having to keep track of numerous van loads of delivered printed test materials. But, she said when her schools tried to move to all online testing several years ago, it was a disaster, mainly due to technology that proved to be inadequate for the task.

For the 100 percent online assessment to become a reality, the Legislature would have to take specific actions. Otherwise the mandate expires on Sept. 1, 2023.