What happened: On Sept. 17, Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 8 into law, launching a major overhaul of Texas’ standardized testing system. By the 2027-28 school year, the state will replace the current STAAR tests with a new “instructionally supportive” assessment program.

Instead of one exam at the end of the year, the new system will require beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year assessments. Supporters say this gives teachers and parents a clearer picture of student growth. Critics worry it increases state testing without easing the burden on students and schools.

Why it matters: Local districts will decide how to balance these new state tests with other assessments they already use. For example, Midland ISD already gives the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) exam several times a year to track student growth. The difference is that MAP is optional and district-driven, while the new state assessments will be mandatory and tied to A–F accountability ratings.

MISD has not said if it will continue using MAP testing once the new state system is in place. MISD and other districts will likely wait to see what the new testing model is and then decide how they will adapt.

Go deeper:

  • Teacher review panels: Panels of about 40 Texas teachers must approve all test questions to ensure they match state standards, are grade-level appropriate, and free of bias.

  • Oversight and transparency: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) must contract with a nationally recognized testing provider and release test items every three years. Parents will get quicker access to results through a secure online portal.

  • Legislative review: A “fail-safe clause” requires TEA to brief lawmakers in 2029 on the impact of the new testing. If accountability ratings drop significantly, the Legislature can revert to the old STAAR tests.

What they’re saying: Representative Brad Buckley, author of HB 8 said, “Starting in 2027-28, the STAAR test will be repealed and replaced with shorter, smarter assessments that give parents and teachers results within 48 hours, adapt to each student’s strengths for more personalized learning, [and] limit over-testing so teachers and students can spend more time on real learning. This is a landmark reform that puts students, parents, and teachers first.”

The other side: Texas Policy Research argued HB 8 represents “a fundamental reordering of power” by transferring rulemaking and oversight authority from the State Board of Education (SBOE) to the Texas Education Agency (TEA). They also warned that the law significantly increases the volume of state testing, while the assessments “remain compulsory, with no opt-out mechanism for parents.”