Standards-Based Questions (NOT STAAR STEMS)

Standards-Based Questions are designed to elicit the cognitive work of the TEKS, not replicate STAAR wording. Because assessment formats and stems may change, instruction must anchor to what students are required to think and do, not how a test temporarily phrases it.

STAAR stems are a test format. Standards-Based Questions (SBQ) are a standards engine.

So if the assessment changes (stems, item types, wording), your instruction doesn’t have to—because SBQ stays anchored to the TEKS cognitive demand.   

• SBQ is TEKS-first: the question is built to “require the exact cognitive work of the standard” and doesn’t name the skill. Grade 6 TEKS Standards-Based Qu…
   
• SBQ is reusable and year-long: “post these questions” and return to them all year—text changes, question stays the same. Grade 7 TEKS Standards-Based Qu…
   
• SBQ protects instruction from test drift: because the question structure is stable and aligned to the standard (not the current test phrasing).

• STAAR stems are a moving target: they reflect how the state currently phrases questions, not the full stability of the TEKS.
   
• Over-reliance creates “stem dependence”: students learn to hunt familiar wording instead of mastering the thinking work the standard requires.

• Use SBQ as the daily instructional language (clean, consistent, TEKS-aligned).
   
• Use STAAR stems as a periodic alignment check, because STAAR still assesses those TEKS—but it shouldn’t be the driver of questioning.