The Texas Education Agency has created a new “parent portal” that provides information about the state test (STAAR) and Lexiles: http://texasassessment.com.  Parents are told about the necessity of their children taking the test and why Lexiles are important to literacy.  A recent news article informs parents about the changes to be made to testing and reporting policy due to  ESSA.

This portal and the ensuing news stories about testing and changes due to ESSA seem to be designed to calm some of the backlash of the last few years where parents refused to permit their children to take the state tests despite some bluster and false threats (your child will not graduate, be promoted, etc.) strove to quell this movement.

No policy has been finalized for the changes mandated by ESSA though it needs to be in place in the next 30 days.  The promise is a reduction in testing, something the state legislature has also endorsed.  Watch this space.