End-of-Course and GPA

The Eanes ISD Board of Trustees accepted recommendations on how the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) end-of-course (EOC) assessments will affect students. As part of the new law in Texas, students who entered 9th and 10th grade in 2012-13 or who are taking a high school core course (English, Science, Social Studies, Math) in middle school, will take 12 EOC assessments rather than TAKS exams as part of their graduation requirements.

Districts are required by law to count these tests as 15% of a student’s final grade. However, Eanes ISD has determined that while the EOC exam grade will count as 15% of the final grade and will appear on the transcript, it will not be counted in the calculation of the GPA (Grade Point Average) or Class Rank. Neither state law, nor Texas Education Agency (TEA) guidance requires that the EOC exam grade be counted in GPA or Class Rank.

District administrators and board members are concerned about the many unknowns of the STAAR test and did not feel comfortable putting students’ academic records at risk. To date, the TEA has not released all of the information about the STAAR and how it is structured.

School administration discussed this issue with teachers and parents prior to making the final recommendation. Eanes ISD schools will continue to provide information to parents and students impacted by the policy.