STAAR Reading Resources.

Since 2013, ELAR TEKS have separated "comprehension strategies" into its own set of TEKS called Figure 19. Thankfully, the new TEKS embed comprehension strategies into genre strands and into the "Comprehension Skills Strand".

Vertical Alignment of Comprehension Skills

Skills alignment between grades k-5 and grades 6-8.

GrK-5 (A) establish purpose for reading assigned and self-selected texts;
Gr6-8: (A) establish purpose for reading assigned and self-selected text;

GrK-5 (B) generate questions about text before, during, and after reading to deepen understanding and gain information;
Gr6-8: (B) generate questions about text before, during, and after reading to deepen understanding and gain information;

GrK-5 (C) make, correct, or confirm predictions using text features, characteristics of genre, and structures;
Gr6-8: (C) make, correct, or confirm predictions using text features, characteristics of genre, and structures;

GrK-5 (D) create mental images to deepen understanding;
Gr6-8: (D) create mental images to deepen understanding;

GrK-5 (E) make connections to personal experiences, ideas in other texts, and society;
Gr6-8: (E) make connections to personal experiences, ideas in other texts, and society;

GrK-5 (F) make inferences and use evidence to support understanding;
Gr6-8: (F) make inferences and use evidence to support understanding;

GrK-5 (G) evaluate details read to determine key ideas;
Gr6-8: (G) evaluate details read to determine key ideas;

GrK-5 (H) synthesize information to create new understanding; and
Gr6-8: (H) synthesize information to create new understanding; and

GrK-5 (I) monitor comprehension and make adjustments such as re-reading, using background knowledge, asking questions, and annotating when understanding breaks down.
Gr6-8: (I) monitor comprehension and make adjustments such as re-reading, using background knowledge, asking questions, and annotating when understanding breaks down.

No. And they shouldn't.

STAAR assesses a narrow set of easily-tested TEKS. Many of the TEKS are difficult to assess (i.e. author's craft, fluency, foundational language skills, etc.) and therefore, don't appear on STAAR.

However, these hard-to-assess skills are the necessary skills for instruction - even if they don't show up in a STAAR stem. They scaffold student thinking, so STAAR stems are attainable.

We include questions that don't match STAAR, because our products are instructional not test-driven. The instructional piece must include non-tested reading skills such as:

• Foundational Language Skills
• Vocabulary Development
• Response Skills
• Literary Elements & Genres

Here's how this is explained in the TEKS:

"The English language arts and reading Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) embody the interconnected nature of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking through the seven integrated strands of developing and sustaining foundational language skills; comprehension; response; multiple genres; author's purpose and craft; composition; and inquiry and research."

Genre Alignment - Each day the daily warm-ups review a different genre. How do we select the genres? We use the most heavily test genres from the STAAR blueprints, and we add vocabulary development one to days per week.

TEKS Alignment - The questions in the STAAR daily warm-ups focus on readiness standards in each of the STAAR reporting categories. 

New TEKS - All of our new products since the summer of 2018 (see copyright dates on the product) include or exclusively align to the TEKS adopted in 2017. The new TEKS will be in effect for the 2019-2020 school year. The catch is when our questions align directly with STAAR released items. This gets a little tricky because STAAR released items prior to 2020 all align to the "old" TEKS.

STAAR Question Stem Examples

Scaffolded Questions: The great thing about reading comprehension is what is tested is not how we learn to read. The "in-the-head" strategies can't be easily tested in an A, B, C format. This is why we include scaffolded questions in many of our STAAR reading task cards. A scaffolded question bridges the gap between basic reading and complex comprehension skills. Read more >> 

Open-Ended and Sentence Stems: Many of our scaffolded questions are in an open-ended or structured response format. This supports the thinking required in the TEKS, particularly in the response skills strand:

• (A) describe personal connections to a variety of sources, including self-selected texts;
• (B) write responses that demonstrate understanding of texts, including comparing and contrasting ideas across a variety of sources;
• (C) use text evidence to support an appropriate response;
• (D) retell, paraphrase, or summarize texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order;
• (E) interact with sources in meaningful ways such as notetaking, annotating, freewriting, or illustrating;
• (F) respond using newly acquired vocabulary as appropriate; and
• (G) discuss specific ideas in the text that are important to the meaning.