Senator Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) has filed the landmark STAAR test replacement legislation, Senate Bill 8, in the 89th Special Session called by Governor Greg Abbott, identical to House Public Education Chair Representative Brad Buckley, House Bill 8. These bills replaces the STAAR test with 3 shorter, instructionally supportive assessments while strengthening Texas’ A–F school accountability system.
“This is the same solid, bipartisan Conference Committee Report, drafted with Chair Buckley and members last session, now improved for an even stronger start with identical bill filings SB 8/HB 8” Senator Bettencourt said. “The bottom line is that What Gets Measured Gets Fixed, and this bill measures student success in a fairer way while ending the era of STAAR stress tests and taxpayer-funded lawsuits against the public accountability system in Texas.”
The bill follows a second major legal victory for the state’s A–F system on July 8, when the 15th Court of Appeals unanimously ruled to release the 2023–2024 ratings, defeating ongoing “lawfare” from plaintiff ISD’s. This is the second loss at the 15th Court of Appeals for the 30 ISD’s that challenged it.
