February 25, 2009 - Austin school officials remind parents that students will take Texas’ standardized tests — the TAKS or Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills — on Tuesday, March 3 through Friday, March 6. More testing will take place in April and early May.

The tests are important because students in some grades must pass specific tests to be promoted or to graduate — and because the Texas Education Agency will rate schools based on test results.  
 
TAKS promotion requirements are:  

• Fifth and eighth graders must pass Reading and Math to be promoted to the next grade.
• Third graders must pass Reading to be promoted to fourth grade.
• Students in eleventh grade must pass all portions — English-Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies — to graduate.

 
 
“Austin students are up to the TAKS challenge,” Superintendent Pat Forgione said. “Students and teachers have been working hard all year. Now we are asking parents to also help their children be a ‘TAKS success’ by doing a few simple things.”  
 

• Children should get adequate rest the night before a TAKS test. The National Sleep Foundation — www.sleepfoundation.org — recommends that children up to age 12 get 9-11 hours of sleep each night, and teenagers get nine hours.
• A healthy breakfast helps children focus. If children do not eat at home, breakfast is available at every Austin school.
• Children should come to school on TAKS days. Attendance on test dates is critical. TEA requires a test participation rate of 95 percent of students for a school to be in compliance with Texas’ accountability system.

 
 
“Parents, unless your child is ill, please be sure that he or she attends school on the TAKS test days,” Dr. Forgione said. “Please check the TAKS schedule and make note of the dates on which your child will be tested.”  
 
TAKS tests for 2009 are scheduled as follows:  
 
Texas Assessment of Knowledge & Skills (TAKS)  
 

Tuesday, March 3	Grades 3**, 5**, 8**, and 9 Reading (English & Spanish)
	Grade 4 Writing (English & Spanish)
	Grade 7 Writing
	Grades 10 and 11* English-Language Arts
Wednesday, March 4	Grade 11* Math Retest
Thursday, March 5	Grade 11* Science Retest
Friday, March 6	Grade 11* Social Studies Retest
Tuesday, April 7	Grades 5** and 8** Math (English & Spanish)
Tuesday, April 28	Grades 3, 4, and 6 Math (English & Spanish)
	Grades 7 & 10 Math
	Grade 11* English-Language Arts Retest
Wednesday, April 29	Grades 4 and 6 Reading (English & Spanish)
	Grade 7 Reading
	Grade 11* Math
	Grades 3**, 5**, and 8** Reading Retest
	Grade 11* Math Retest
Thursday, April 30	Grade 5 Science (English & Spanish)
	Grades 8, 10, and 11* Science
	Grade 9 Math
	Grade 11* Science Retest
Friday, May 1	Grades 8, 10, and 11* Social Studies
	Grade 11* Social Studies Retest

 
 
* Must pass to graduate  
** Must pass to be promoted to the next grade