Testing

HISD administers a variety of standardized tests throughout the school year to assess students' academic knowledge, English language proficiency, cognitive abilities, and a variety of skills. To learn more about the specific standardized tests that are required or recommended for your child, contact your child's teacher. For the faculty directory, visit our Academics page. Below you will find a brief description of some of the tests we administer.

Standardized Tests

Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS)

TAKS measures a student’s mastery of the state-mandated curriculum, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). TAKS is administered for:

  • Grades 3–9 reading
  • Grades 3–10 and exit level mathematics
  • Grades 4 and 7 writing
  • Grade 10 and exit level English language arts (ELA)
  • Grades 5, 8, 10, and exit level science
  • Grades 8, 10, and exit level social studies

TAKS includes an accommodated form called TAKS (Accommodated) for students served by special education who meet the eligibility requirements for certain specific accommodations. The TAKS (Accommodated) form includes format accommodations (larger font, fewer items per page, etc.) and contains no embedded field-test items. TAKS and TAKS (Accommodated) are available in Spanish and are administered for:

  • Grades 3–6 reading
  • Grades 3–6 mathematics
  • Grade 4 writing
  • Grade 5 science

Stanford 10

The Stanford 10 usually referred to simply as the "SAT 10" (where the number reflects the series being used), is one of the leading standardized achievement tests utilized by school districts in the United States for assessing children from kindergarten through high school; it is used to measure academic knowledge of elementary and secondary school students. The test is available in 13 levels that roughly correspond to the year in school. Each level of the test is broken into subtests or strands covering various subjects such as reading comprehension, mathematical problem solving, and science.

The tests include three types of questions: multiple choice, short answer, and extended response.

Aprenda 3

Aprenda is designed to guide teaching and learning to help ensure that Spanish-speaking students in grades K-12 meet the same challenging academic standards that all students are expected to meet. Teachers can gain valuable information about the progress students are making in their classrooms.

Aprenda: La prueba de logros en español, Tercera edición (Aprenda 3) measures the academic achievement of Spanish-speaking students in their native language. It is modeled after its companion English-language test, the Stanford Achievement Test Series, Tenth Edition (Stanford 10).

This instrument provides administrators with valid and reliable data to help evaluate advancement toward meeting the challenges set forth by the No Child Left Behind Act and national and state content standards.