STAAR Alternate 2 Resources

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Texas definition of a student with a significant cognitive disability is a student who:

exhibits significant intellectual and adaptive behavior deficits in their ability to plan, comprehend, and reason, and ALSO indicates adaptive behavior deficits that limit their ability to apply social and practical skills such as personal care, social problem-solving skills, dressing, eating, using money, and other functional skills across life domains;
is NOT identified based on English learner designation or solely on the basis of previous low academic achievement or the need for accommodations; and
requires extensive, direct, individualized instruction, as well as a need for substantial supports that are neither temporary nor specific to a particular content area.

TEA has developed the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR^®) Alternate 2 assessment to meet the federal requirements mandated under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), a federal education law previously known as No Child Left Behind. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) designed the STAAR Alternate 2 to assess students in grades 3–8 and high school who have significant cognitive disabilities and are receiving special education services.

Texas ESEA 1.0 Percent Waiver

2021–2022 Texas One Percent Cap Waiver Request (PDF posted 1/3/22)
STAAR Alternate 2 Explanation and Assurance Summary (PDF posted 2/8/22)

The following image is an example form that LEAs received via electronic communication. Please do not complete the example form.

2021 STAAR Alternate 2 Assurances and Justification Form (PDF)

STAAR Alternate 2 Test Administration Resources

Use the links below to access STAAR Alternate 2 resources.

Allowable Accommodations for STAAR Alternate 2 (PDF)
STAAR Alternate 2 Educator Guide (PDF updated 11/22/21)
STAAR Alternate 2 and TELPAS Alternate Medical Exception Eligibility Requirements (English PDF posted 09/22/21)
STAAR Alternate 2 and TELPAS Alternate Medical Exception Eligibility Requirements (Spanish PDF posted 09/22/21)
STAAR Alternate 2 and TELPAS Alternate No Authentic Academic Response (NAAR) Eligibility Requirements (English PDF revised 09/22/21)
STAAR Alternate 2 and TELPAS Alternate No Authentic Academic Response (NAAR) Eligibility Requirements (Spanish PDF posted 09/22/21)
Participation Requirements (English version, PDF revised 09/15/21)
Participation Requirements (Spanish version, PDF revised 09/15/21)
STAAR Alternate 2 Participation Requirements Companion Document (PDF posted 02/01/19)
STAAR Alternate 2 Participation Requirements Companion Document (Spanish version, PDF posted 03/14/19
STAAR Alternate 2 Released Tests (Update 06/26/19)
STAAR Alternate 2 Test Administrator Manual (PDF updated 2/17/22)

STAAR Alternate 2 TEKS Alignment Documents

Use the links below to access STAAR Alternate 2 TEKS Alignment Documents.

TEKS Curriculum Frameworks (updated 03/09/21)
- RLA Curriculum Framework updated on 6/20/22
Essence Statements (PDF posted 12/9/21)
Instructional Terms Lists (PDFs updated 12/7/20)
TEKS Vertical Alignments (PDF updated 1/28/21)
Blueprints (PDF updated 1/24/20)