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State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exams have high stakes for everyone involved. For students, passing a series of subject-specific tests is a core requirement for high school graduation. Teachers need solid class scores to progress in their careers and earn higher pay, and for schools, STAAR outcomes are a critical component of accountability ratings.
Texas Independent School District (ISD) leaders face all of these pressures and more. While ISDs can earn valuable incentive payments for meeting STAAR metrics, they also risk state takeover if scores remain low. But despite the importance of these examinations, more than half of Texas students continue to score below grade level. Students from low-income or minority backgrounds, bilingual students, and those with special needs lag even farther behind.
Teachers Need Test Prep Support
These troubling trends—and a recent test redesign emphasizing critical thinking and writing—make effective test preparation more crucial than ever for Texas ISDs. However, many teachers report that fitting in STAAR prep is a challenge, especially since their classes include students with a wide range of ability levels and differing support needs. Teaching the material is not enough; teachers must also prepare students for the test’s format and approach.
Despite this clear need, many teachers lack the resources to get students ready for STAAR while maintaining a high instructional standard across the board. While the state offers curricular guidance and some practice questions, teachers are left to create their own prep plans and fit them into the broader curriculum. Outside solutions have been limited, with some vendors offering only practice items or workbooks or only offering content in a single subject. The result? Teachers struggle to find the time to teach what matters most while preparing students, and students approach STAAR lacking the specialized skills and confidence they need to achieve scores that reflect the quality of their education.
A New Approach to STAAR Preparation
That’s where the MasteryPrep for STAAR program comes in. MasteryPrep for STAAR offers comprehensive preparation for all STAAR end-of-course exams: Algebra I, English I, English II, U.S. History, and Biology. Each course is directly aligned to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), with a focus on the content areas that are most frequently assessed in STAAR exams.
With a combination of online tools for asynchronous learning and synchronous materials for in-person instruction, the solution offers individualized learning pathways and test-specific skill-building. The full 30-hour program consists of four interactive components built by Texas educators and standardized testing experts.
Diagnostic Test
Before teachers can help students improve, they need to know where they stand. The first stage of the MasteryPrep program is a full-length diagnostic test that identifies students’ current ability levels. Teachers can use detailed reporting to identify individual and class-level trends to spot challenge areas and understand which students need further support.
Interactive SnapCourses
With over 120 online modules for each subject, SnapCourse keeps students focused using engaging micro-videos and interactive tasks targeted to their specific learning needs. When students struggle, the program automatically offers additional virtual support. The program’s adaptive sequencing engine generates individualized learning pathways and study plans, which teachers can adapt and modify as needed.
Flexible Printed Curriculum
In addition to online exercises, the program includes everything teachers need to teach STAAR Mastery lessons live and in-person. Students learn and practice their skills using workbooks broken into comprehensive one-hour chapters paired with 10-minute Snapshot exercises. Teacher manuals include detailed lesson guides and come with fully prepped PowerPoint slide decks for each lesson. With modular lessons that can be delivered sequentially or on their own, teachers can customize the pace of the program and deliver content as part of a class or as a standalone offering.
In-Person or Virtual Boot Camp
MasteryPrep’s half-day, single-subject Boot Camps solidify everything that students have learned throughout their courses and provide the practical tools they need on test day. Delivered by MasteryPrep certified instructors, Boot Camp content includes test-taking and guessing strategies, tips for navigating STAAR technology and avoiding trick answers, and more. It also emphasizes the other elements of test prep, with a focus on reducing student stress and anxiety leading into the exam.
Give Teachers and Students the Tools They Need
In 2022, 88.9% of districts that used MasteryPrep for STAAR increased their scores. The program isn’t just designed to help students pass the test, but to increase the number of students who meet or exceed state standards—whether they’re currently struggling to keep up or at the top of their class. This approach helps districts and schools boost their accountability ratings not only in the Academic Achievement domain, but also in School Progress and Closing the Gaps. Plus, with premade lesson planning and interactive online modules, schools can achieve positive outcomes while preserving teachers’ bandwidth so they can focus on teaching, not just test prep.
Click here to learn more about how MasteryPrep can help your district boost its STAAR scores.
“Great way to prepare students and help them remember all the important facts!”
B.N., Administrator
Brazos High School (Algebra I)
“MasteryPrep was extremely helpful and helped me to better understand and break down the questions.”
Student
Italy ISD
“I understood everything the MasteryPrep instructor was saying, and I could relate to it. And she talked about it in a way where I actually wasn’t bored.”
Student
Celeste ISD
About MasteryPrep:
MasteryPrep provides mastery-based college readiness services and resources for the SAT®, ACT®, TSIA2, EOC, and WorkKeys®. MasteryPrep is the nationally preferred SAT and ACT prep provider of the Council for Opportunity in Education and licensed by ACT to include official ACT test questions in its programs. MasteryPrep partners with schools and districts to help level the standardized assessment playing field. MasteryPrep has ranked among the Inc. 5000 “Fastest Growing Companies” for six years and is a featured “Entrepreneur 360” company.
MasteryPrep is here to bridge the gap in an e-learning environment by providing your students with much needed college readiness preparation.
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