The state of Texas introduced the STAAR test to students during the fall of 2011.

While surrounding school districts such as Plano and McKinney have continued to have midterm and final exams, Frisco has dropped its district-wide tests.

“After the STAAR exam was brought on by our legislature, and there were going to be fifteen exams that students needed to pass in order to graduate, the district didn’t want to take additional instructional days away from teachers and students to spend on final exams and taking more tests,” assistant principal Kristen Sommers said.

Final exams would mean campuses spend up to 45 school days a year on testing, not including the many AP exams and benchmark assessments already given.

“Really and truly, every course would have an end of course exam being that STAAR test at the end of every year,” Sommers said. “So they were really trying to give back instructional time to teachers and students.”