The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR for short, is a standardized testing programs for students grades 3 and up attending public schools in Texas. And while Brighter Horizons Academy is a private institution, STAAR still used to be implemented. When we [A.O and Y.N] were in elementary school, STAAR was a daunting obstacle, and we considered it to be the greatest challenge we faced at the time, a source of anxiety and stress. But since 5th grade, we have not taken a STAAR test. We figured that we would never see one again. But now, in 2026, STAAR tests have been brought back for grades 3-5, as well as middle and high school, and we were curious to see how people felt about it.
Jurie Osman is a 7th grader at BHA who has not taken STAAR before. “I felt slightly confused [regarding the STAAR tests coming back] at first, but I understand why they brought them back due to their importance.” Naturally, Osman felt nervous preparing for an exam she had never taken before. “I felt anxious since it is my first time…I was worried and wondering if I wasn’t studying enough.” But her confidence came to her after taking the test. “I was scared, and I thought that it would be extremely difficult,” Osman says. “However, now that I understand how STAAR works, I am a lot less nervous.”
Asad Siddiq is a junior who had first taken STAAR back in elementary school, only to be met with it again years later. “When I was in 3rd and 4th grade, I took the STAAR test for Math and English. It was really hard [to prepare], especially because I was a new student…I didn’t know how the system worked,” Siddiq says. “…My teachers and parents both told me it was significant [for me to pass because] it would show that the school is really good. I took a lot of mock tests before the day [of the test], so [when] I actually took it, I felt a lot less stressed.” Siddiq has a new outlook on STAAR now that so much time has passed since he last took it. “Since then, it has been 7 years…now that it has come back, I finally understand that the STAAR test has no effect on personal academics, but [it] does have an effect on how the school looks…Honestly, I am not as prepared as I was in 3rd and 4th grade…”.
Ms. Nora Hamed is a faculty member at BHA who teaches middle school Computer classes and AP Computer Science Principles. She was instructed to proctor a classroom of students who were taking STAAR. “It’s been a while since we have had STAAR at BHA, so I’m not sure how I feel,” Ms. Hamed says. “We’ll see. I have confidence in our Stars, and I know we will do great.” Ms. Hamed explains the general experience of proctoring an exam. “Proctors are responsible for making sure the testing environment is safe and [for adhering to] all the standards. It’s a lot of work [being] a proctor, and there’s a lot of pressure…As part of the rules, we weren’t able to sit down and [we] had to be actively monitoring. We weren’t able to grade papers [either]. If it was recorded [that we weren’t actively watching the students], it would be a big deal.”
STAAR tests started on April 14th, 2026, and are scheduled to continue until April 30th, 2026. So while the STAARs haven’t dimmed just yet, we know that BHA’s Stars will shine even brighter.
