Parents, lawmakers voice concerns about in-person STAAR testing By Carissa Lehmkuhl Parents, lawmakers voice concerns about in-person STAAR testing The TEA did announce one change to this year’s tests - school districts won’t be rated based on results. AUSTIN, Texas - Despite canceling STAAR testing last year due to the pandemic, the Texas Education Agency announced that it is moving forward with in-person testing this spring. Lawmakers and parents are voicing concerns in response. "I’ve talked with so many parents who say, ‘I’ve been staying home all year to keep my kids safe, why am I going to take them down now to take a test that doesn’t really matter and isn’t even going to accurately capture what they can do," said Sharyn Vane, a parent of two high school students in the Austin ISD. "It’s a lot of fuss and bother for not a lot of payoff."