Texas tests should get harder, ed commissioner says

Texas Commissioner of Education Michael Williams, shown here on Oct. 26, 2012, gave his final remarks to the State Board of Education on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Todd Yates) MANDATORY CREDIT; MAGS OUT; TV OUT less Texas Commissioner of Education Michael Williams, shown here on Oct. 26, 2012, gave his final remarks to the State Board of Education on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015. (AP Photo/Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Todd ... more Photo: Todd Yates, MBO Photo: Todd Yates, MBO Image 1 of / 50 Caption Close Texas tests should get harder, ed commissioner says 1 / 50 Back to Gallery

AUSTIN - Outgoing Texas Commissioner of Education Michael Williams on Wednesday encouraged the state board to continue increasing the difficulty of standardized tests after he steps down at the end of the year.

"I encourage us to maintain a rigorous assessment system and maintain an accountability regime that makes sure that high performers are rewarded and low performers are recognized," Williams said during his last remarks to the 15-member board before his tenure ends Jan. 1.

He also said the board needed to continue to focus on providing additional professional assistance to educators.

Texas students in grades through through 12 are required to take mandatory statewide exams, called the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR. The passing difficulty for these exams was supposed to increase every year during Williams' tenure, but the state was forced to repeatedly delay this move due to poor student performance.

Last month, Williams announced he would increase the passing difficulty of the STAAR exams beginning this school year. While the move has been unpopular with many teachers, most of whom are assessed based at least in part on student scores on these exams, Williams decided to make the increase more gradual than previously planned, to ensure teachers and students could adjust.

Multiple board members then thanked him for his three years of service, with Mount Pleasant Republican Thomas Ratliff mentioning Williams' work in bucking the federal government on No Child Left Behind.

As commissioner, Williams became the loudest voice against the NCLB requirement that each state base at least 20 percent of their educator assessment scores - which can determine things like retention and pay - on student growth data, like exams. Williams reminded the feds that Texas' educator assessment guidelines are not mandatory, and that he does not have nor want the ability to force districts to adopt one method of scoring teachers.

Williams did not mention the issue during his remarks Wednesday. The state is still waiting to see if the feds will remove Texas' "high risk" status and grant the state a waiver from the 2001 law's mandates.

Gov. Greg Abbott will name a successor by Jan. 1.