A non-profit organization is hoping to change the way some schools are rated.

The group, Raise Your Hand Texas, is recommending de-emphasizing the STAAR test in regard to student assessment and school accountability ratings. They say that could mean factoring in things like fine arts and extra extracurricular activities to measure student success.

In the last year, Raise Your Hand Texas collected feedback from more than 15,000 in the state regarding the STAAR test.

“We asked them questions like, ‘How do you think STAAR measures, how do you think STAAR actually feeds into our accountability system,” Bob Popinski, senior director of policy for Raise Your Hand Texas said. 

The feedback was used to create the Measure What Matters report that provides recommendations for the state legislature on how to improve the system.

“Our recommendation is that only 50% of [student assessment and school accountability ratings] can be based on STAAR,” Popinski said. “And we can add dozens of additional indicators to make up that other 50%. That gives the gift of time back to our teachers and students to actually inform instruction better."

Popinski said while many feel the STAAR test is an important snapshot, it's not an accurate picture of everything students are learning, or of what school districts are doing to help students succeed.

Raise Your Hand hopes to present the report to House and Senate members in January when the new legislative session begins.