Skip to main content
Main Menu Toggle
Assessment and Accountability » Program Overview

Program Overview

The primary goal of the office of Assessment and Accountability is to assist DPISD campuses in improving student performance. In order to meet this goal, we collaborate with other members of the DPISD Department of Instruction to format, print, distribute and score state released assessments as well as locally developed diagnostic tests, curriculum based assessments (CBA’s), and benchmark tests. Data produced from these assessments are analyzed for the purpose of assessing the effectiveness of DPISD curriculum and instruction.

Data from STAAR testing is used to evaluate each student’s readiness for the next grade/course or for postsecondary education and to further evaluate the effectiveness of DPISD curriculum and instruction. It is also used to determine state and federal accountability ratings under state accountability and the federal accountability systems.

Assessments required by the state and federal governments include:

  • STAAR - In Spring 2012, the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) replaced the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS).
    • The STAAR program at grades 3–8 assesses Mathematics (3-8), Reading (3-8), Science (5 & 8) and Social Studies (8).
    • High school End-of-Course (EOC) assessments include Algebra I, Biology, English I (combined Reading and Writing), English II (combined Reading and Writing), and U.S. History. Passing all EOC exams is a requirement for graduation.
  • STAAR-Alt 2- The Texas Education Agency (TEA) developed the STAAR Alternate Two exams (STAAR Alternate 2) to meet requirements mandated under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and its reauthorization, ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act). STAAR Alternate 2 is designed for the purpose of assessing Special Education students in grades 3–8 and high school who have significant cognitive disabilities and are receiving special education services.
  • TELPAS - The Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) is designed to assess the progress that EB (Emergent Bilingual) students make in learning the English language. TELPAS score reports include the individual proficiency level ratings of students in each of the four language domains assessed (listening, speaking, reading, and writing).

Students will graduate under STAAR testing requirements in effect when they enrolled in Ninth Grade.