AUSTIN (Nexstar) — The Senate Committee on Education K-16 heard invited and public testimony Wednesday on Senate Bill 8, which would eliminate the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test, replacing it with more frequent exams to measure student growth. The committee voted unanimously to send the bill to the Senate floor.

The STAAR test was first implemented in 2012 and is a once yearly standardized test offered to students starting in 3rd grade and continuing through high school in certain subjects. The legislature considered a bill during the 2025 regular session to eliminate the test, with proponents of the bill arguing that the test puts pressure on students and prevents districts from consistently measuring outcomes.

SB 8 would eliminate the STAAR test and mainta

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