CSCOPE and STAAR

staar picOverview
In the spring of 2012, the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, replaced the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) in Texas.The STAAR program at grades 3–8 assesses the same grades and subjects that were assessed on TAKS tests. At the high school level, general subject-area TAKS tests were replaced with twelve STAAR end-of-course (EOC) assessments. Read More

How does CSCOPE address STAAR requirements?
STAAR assessments are designed to measure students’ understanding of the State Board of Education (SBOE) approved state standards, or TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills), and the entire CSCOPE curriculum framework is based on alignment to the TEKS. By design, CSCOPE provides valuable resources that assist teachers in preparing students to meet the expectations of the STAAR assessments. Additionally, as new STAAR information is released from the state, CSCOPE quickly analyzes the new information and updates existing components as appropriate.

The table below summarizes how key components of the CSCOPE system support teachers’ efforts to prepare students for STAAR assessments. To learn more about CSCOPE components, click here.

Chart Notes:

The TEKS are the SBOE-approved standards that all Texas public schools are required to teach. The Assessment Division of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) identifies select TEKS as Readiness and Supporting standards for purposes of STAAR assessments.

CSCOPE Component How these components support features of STAAR
Year at a Glance (YAGs)
  • The YAG assists educators by providing recommended bundles (grouping) of TEKS with an emphasis on the Readiness and Supporting standards.

  • The YAG scope and sequence ensures that Readiness and Supporting standards are taught before the STAAR assessment.
TEKS Verification Document (TVD)
  • Standards are coded as Readiness or Supporting on the TVD for easy identification and reference.

  • The TVD identifies the specific grading period(s) in which each standard will be addressed. In addition, teachers may determine if a Readiness or Supporting standard is addressed in multiple units across the school year.

Vertical Alignment Document (VAD)

TEKS Clarification Document (TCD)
  • Standards are labeled as Readiness or Supporting on the VAD and TCD for easy identification and reference.

  • VADs and TCDs highlight cognitive rigor and content complexity, as well as provide bulleted specificity of all TEKS.

  • The included CSCOPE specificity clarifies the intent of the standards and provides related content and/or examples.

  • STAAR Notes are added to select standards as necessary.
Instructional Focus Document (IFD)
  • The IFD provides a specific unit of study that effectively groups Readiness and Supporting standards with Process standards.

  • The IFD highlights cognitive rigor and content complexity, as well as provides bulleted specificity of each standard.
Performance Indicators
  • Performance Indicators provide an authentic way to assess student mastery of unit standards, including those identified as Readiness and Supporting.

  • Designated Process standards are also included in Performance Indicators.
Unit Tests
  • Unit tests emphasize Readiness and Supporting standards and include dual-coding of Content and Process TEKS, as reflected on STAAR assessments.

  • Unit tests contain items aligned to the content and cognitive rigor of the TEKS on correlated IFDs

  • Test questions provide an opportunity for students to apply critical thinking skills in a variety of contexts, including multi-step problem situations.
Exemplar Lessons
  • The Exemplar Lessons are one approach to teaching the TEKS, as well as addressing the Performance Indicators associated with each unit.

  • Exemplar lessons include strategies that promote the content and cognitive rigor of the standards, as well as emphasize Readiness, Supporting, and Process standards.

  • Instructional activities provide opportunity for students to apply critical thinking skills in a variety of contexts, including multi-step problem situations.
New Technology Platform
  • The web-based system offers a “Standards” tab that allows educators to view, browse, and/or search the TEKS, with identifying tags for Readiness and Supporting standards.

  • Teachers and districts are able to easily customize CSCOPE content according to student needs and district data in preparation for state assessments. Lesson planning features enable educators to incorporate personalized and district-approved resources, including textbooks, to target instruction for STAAR, based on specific student needs.