Texas Mathematics Teacher Fall/Winter 2019 - 9

TEA Updates
Fall/Winter 2019/20
Jo Ann Bilderback, Director of Mathematics, Curriculum Standards and Student Support Division

1. Mathematics Achievement Academies - Funding for the Mathematics Academies was extended by the 86th Texas
Legislature (2019) for kindergarten - grade 3 for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years. All teachers who provide
classroom instruction in mathematics to students in these grades will be eligible to attend an academy. This includes
special education, bilingual, and ESL teachers. State law requires TEA to grant priority for academy participation to
teachers at campuses with 50% or more educationally disadvantaged students. Check with your regional Education
Service Center (ESC) for available training sessions.
2. ESTAR/MSTAR Universal Screeners and Diagnostic Assessments - The ESTAR/MSTAR Universal Screeners are a
formative assessment system administered to students in grades 2-8 to support instructional decisions. The content of
the screeners is based on algebra-readiness skills as identified in the Texas Response to Curriculum Focal Points. The
results can help teachers identify if students are at-risk for algebra readiness.
The ESTAR/MSTAR windows for the 2019-2020 school year are as follows:
Universal Screener
August 19 - October 11, 2019
January 6 - February 7, 2020
April 13 - May 8, 2020

Diagnostic Assessments
August 26 - October 18, 2019
January 13 - February 14, 2020
April 20 - May 15, 2020

Online training courses for the ESTAR/MSTAR assessment system are available at http://texasmathsupportcenter.org/.
For questions concerning ESTAR/MSTAR, please contact the help desk at mathtx@esc13.net or 1-855-462-8489.
3. Interim Assessments - The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has created free, optional online interim assessments that
align to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The STAAR Interim Assessments are a TEA-provided tool
to help educators tailor instructional practice to address students' needs. These assessments will be available at no cost
to districts, and they are not tied to accountability. Additional information about interim assessments can be found at
http://tea.texas.gov/student.assessment/IA/.
4. Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) - The National Science Foundation,
under the direction of the White House, approves the Texas candidates as finalists for the national PAEMST award. If
chosen, the awardee will receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D. C. to attend recognition events, a certificate
signed by the President of the United States, and a $10,000 cash award from the National Science Foundation.
The 2020 competition is open to teachers who teach math or science in grades K-6. Teachers can sign up to apply or be
nominated. The nomination window is open through March 1, 2020. Applications are due by May 1, 2020. In Texas,
eligible teachers who submit a completed application by the deadline will earn 25 hours of CPE credit. To sign up,
apply, or find information about the awards, teachers can visit www.paemst.org. In Texas, questions can be sent to
tx_paemst@tea.texas.gov.

"The hardest thing being with a
mathematician is that they always
have problems.
"
- Tendai Chitewere

www.txmathteachers.org

Fall/Winter 2019 | 9

http://www.texasmathsupportcenter.org/ http://tea.texas.gov/student.assessment/IA/ http://www.paemst.org http://www.txmathteachers.org

Texas Mathematics Teacher Fall/Winter 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Texas Mathematics Teacher Fall/Winter 2019