TAKS Test Moved To Avoid Conflict With Primary Elections

AUSTIN (AP) – Some students will take the state’s standardized test later than planned to avoid a conflict with Texas’ primary election day.

The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills was slated to start on March 4, but many schools serve as polling places. Superintendents have expressed concern that students would be distracted by a steady stream of voters while they take the high-stakes test.

Tests scheduled for March 4-6 will be given one day later. The exit-level TAKS social studies exam, which was scheduled for March 7, will be moved to March 3.

Some of the tests scheduled for March 4 determine whether children are promoted to the next grade or will graduate from high school.

“We know this change causes additional work for our district and campus testing coordinators so we have not made this decision lightly,” said Education Commissioner Robert Scott. “We had to balance the long-standing tradition of using schools as polling places with children’s right to a quiet testing environment as they take high-stakes exams.”

About 2.6 million students will take the TAKS in March.