Grapevine-Colleyville ISD strives to work collaboratively with parents in regards to what is in the best interest of their child. Federal and state laws require that all students participate in a summative assessment. Standardized testing is required in Texas public schools by the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or “STAAR,” program set out in Texas Education Code chapter 39 and 19 Texas Administrative Code chapter 101. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) publishes detailed information on their STAAR assessment website. 

Although state law provides families with the right to temporarily remove their child from a class or school activity if they have an objection to participation, it specifically does not allow families to do so to avoid a test/assessment.  

Removing a Student Temporarily from the Classroom
You may remove your child temporarily from the classroom if an instructional activity in which your child is scheduled to participate conflicts with your religious or moral beliefs. The removal may not be for the purpose of avoiding a test (e.g. STAAR/EOC) and may not extend for an entire semester. The student must also satisfy grade-level, attendance, and graduation requirements as determined by the school and by state law.

If your student is temporarily removed from a class or school activity due to an objection to participation, please understand the following:

• HB 1416 requires participation in an assessment. A student who does not have a failed STAAR/STAAR EOC assessment must be administered a beginning-of-year assessment in order for a parent to be able to opt out of requirements. This will likely be a released STAAR/STAAR EOC.

• The student will be marked "score" if they are present, but opt to not test. The student will have a failing STAAR/STAAR EOC assessment which has negative consequences for the school, as well as, triggers the HB 1416 process for the student.

Makeup Tests: First, it is important to note that missing school on a single designated test date will not necessarily cause a student to miss the testing opportunity. Although districts publish a schedule of specific test dates for STAAR, most tests are administered within a testing “window” set by TEA. If a student who has been absent returns to school during the testing window, the student may be asked to sit for the exam at that time. Makeup test dates are also scheduled (beyond the window) for most assessments.

• Students who are present during the testing window will be given the opportunity to test. Students who are not present during the testing window will accumulate absences that can negatively impact credit being awarded, as well as, commence compulsory attendance processes.

Compulsory Attendance: Depending on the circumstances, a student may be subject to truancy prevention measures and a parent may commit the offense of contributing to nonattendance, if the student fails to attend school on 10 or more days or parts of days within a six-month period in the same school year or on three or more days or parts of days within a four-week period. Tex. Educ. Code § 25.093; Tex. Fam. Code § 65.003

Attendance for Credit: Failure to attend on a test date or during a testing window would also be taken into consideration for the purposes of the 90 percent attendance rule. A student in any grade K-12 may not receive credit or a final grade if the student attends class less than 90 percent of the days the class is offered, absent extenuating circumstances as determined by a local attendance committee or, in some cases, the campus principal in accordance with board policy. Tex. Educ. Code § 25.092.

• High school students must continue to attempt the STAAR EOCs required for graduation.