The Texas Education Agency told districts across the state they could stop online STAAR testing Tuesday if students were experiencing technical issues.
The standardized test is given every year to Texas students in third through eighth grade. The glitches affected online testing in fourth and seventh grades, as well as the high school English exam. Students were not able to log in, dealt with slow response times and weren't able to proceed through the exam.
“All involved in public education in Texas should expect better than what they have experienced today," the TEA said a statement. "We are working to ensure that our students do not experience future testing issues."
At 10 a.m., the agency said students facing these issues did not have to wait for the problems to be fixed. Online testing was expected to resume Wednesday in some districts.
Students who have been learning virtually all year were required to take the test at school or another secure testing site. Now, these students will have to come back to a school building to make up the test.
Central Texas school districts said students who came to school for the test could leave immediately if they wanted. An Austin ISD spokesperson said students were encouraged to stay for their regular classes because COVID-19 transmission in schools has been low.
