EDINBURG – The Texas Education Agency wants to make it easier for parents to know how well their children perform on the STAAR test.

The agency is working to overhaul the report and make it available to parents next month.

Parent Diana Bernal said her daughter will be entering third grade next year. Third grade is the first year student takes their STAAR tests.

“For the most part, I’ve seen that her teacher pushes her to bring out the best in her. I’m blessed to have a really good child,” she said. “She really, really focuses in school and she really tries. She reads at a fourth grade level even though she’s in second.”

Bernal said he’s not worried about her daughter’s performance.

“I’m just worried about her future teacher to be overly stressed about it because I think you lose focus on the child,” she said.

TEA spokesperson DeEtta Culbertson said the agency is overhauling their report cards for the state-mandated exam.

“Previously, when a student’s performance was reported they were either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. They either met the passing standard or they did not meet it,” she explained.

Culbertson said the TEA is revamping the test’s grading labels.

“If a student meets grade level, which means the student is actually on course to be successful in the next grade, or is approaching grade level, which means the student does have some understanding of the material he’s learned but is going to need some targeted improvement in the coming year,” she said.

She said parents will know if their children are ready for the next grade level.

Bernal said her daughter can’t wait to start third grade.

“I told her, ‘Okay, but it is going to be harder because it’s going to be third grade and you’re going to have to take a test.’ and she’s like, ‘Yes, I know but that’s fine. I don’t mind taking tests,’” she said.

She hopes her daughter’s confidence will help her improve in her exams.  

The TEA plans to reveal the new report card next month. The agency is also working to let parents know what to expect on this new report card.