House Bill 4 Written Testimony of Max Rombado

Raise Your Hand Texas submitted the following written testimony to the Texas House Committee on Public Education on Tuesday, April 29. Raise Your Hand Texas will continue to keep the public informed through written and invited/public testimony on the issues related to public education in Texas.

Written Testimony of Max Rombado

Legislative Director

Raise Your Hand Texas

Before the Texas House Committee on Public Education

The Honorable Brad Buckley, Chair

House Bill 4 by Representative Buckley:  Support

Key Points:

• Raise Your Hand Texas believes the current A-F school accountability system should not rely solely on one test, particularly since STAAR does not fully reflect what students should know, what schools provide, or what the state invests in.
• We support reforming the system to replace STAAR with nationally norm-referenced assessments and include broader measures of student learning, which is essential to truly “measure what matters.”
• We support expanding non-test-based accountability indicators in grades K-8, capping the influence of assessments to no more than 40% in grades 9-12, and reducing the number of assessments to align with federal testing requirements.
• We support the formal adoption of Through-Year Assessments. When implemented properly, this formative assessment tool will inform instruction and improve student achievement in core subject areas.
• We support funding for districts to plan and implement local accountability systems that promote continuous improvement and reflect the unique strengths of each school community. 

Testimony:

Texas has long been a national leader in school accountability reform, and with that leadership comes a responsibility to set a higher standard — one that reflects the true quality and complexity of our public schools. Under the current A-F accountability system, the letter grades assigned to campuses and districts are determined almost entirely by student performance on the STAAR exam. For elementary and middle schools, STAAR is the sole factor driving these ratings. Yet this single test provides only a limited, one-day snapshot of student performance — and fails to capture the full range of learning, services, and support that our schools provide. 

In 2022, Raise Your Hand Texas established the Measure What Matters Assessment and Accountability Council, bringing together leading education experts, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders from across the state. The council met multiple times throughout the year, examining a wide body of research and data while grounding its work in the lived experiences of Texans. Through individual conversations, small group discussions, and surveys, Raise Your Hand Texas engaged more than 15,600 people statewide. 

What we heard from Texans was clear and consistent:

• 83% said public schools should not be graded solely on STAAR results.
• 81% felt STAAR places undue pressure on students and interferes with quality instruction.
• 69% said STAAR does not accurately reflect how well students are learning.

For the full report, visit:  Measure What Matters Report

House Bill 4, as substituted by the House Committee on Public Education, reflects the recommendations of experts, practitioners, and families across the state. Raise Your Hand Texas stands in support of this effort to broaden the scope of what the A-F system measures at every grade level. This includes replacing STAAR with nationally norm-referenced assessments, establishing through-year testing that measures student growth, and aligning the number and subject matter of assessments with federal requirements. We also support the inclusion of meaningful, non-test-based indicators such as enrollment in advanced coursework, engagement in extracurricular and co-curricular programs, and participation in full-day pre-K. Research consistently shows that student engagement in these areas leads to stronger attendance, higher satisfaction with school, and fewer behavioral challenges that impede learning. 

Now is the moment for Texas to adopt a more balanced and transparent accountability system — one that reflects the full spectrum of what makes a school successful. Our communities deserve a system that not only tracks academic outcomes but also recognizes the vital inputs that contribute to student growth and school quality. A more comprehensive approach will empower students, parents, educators, and policymakers alike with information that is fair, accurate, and actionable.