The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, testing for students began this Wednesday.

The English I STAAR was the first test, followed by the English II test April 15, Biology and U.S. History April 22, and Algebra I April 29. 

“I think they are prepared,” English teacher Miranda Pereira said. “They have all been working so hard to do well. I am proud of them.”

Pereira said that they have been reviewing using IXL, which offers both Math and English curriculum to practice for the STAAR. 

“We have been preparing by reviewing skills that were most missed,” Pereira said. “Students have been doing group stations and activities throughout the past few weeks to prepare.”

Sophomore Joshua Tink said that his English teacher has also been reviewing through IXL.

“I think she’s doing a really good job,” Tink said. “She explains like, what we can fix and what we need to work on really well.”

The STAAR tests are designed to show whether students have mastered the knowledge and skills of core subjects.

“I feel like they are important because they drive us to learn but they aren’t life-changing,” freshman Lilly Mayer said. “I feel like our teacher prepared us well but in the end its up to us for if we want to pay attention or not.”

Students must pass each of five STAAR tests to be eligible for graduation. 

“I do try to emphasize it for students because I know they have to pass it to graduate and it’s what we work towards for the majority of the year,” Pereira said. “Doing well is like a reward for their hard work.”