The Middle School Students in Texas: Algebra Ready (MSTAR) Diagnostic Assessments were released state-wide in January 2014 by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and is part of the larger Texas Algebra Ready (TXAR) initiative.
Under the direction of Associate Professor Leanne Ketterlin Geller, Research in Mathematics Education (RME) collaborates with TEA to develop the assessments and professional development courses that are available to all public school teachers and students in Texas. The diagnostic assessments help teachers identify why students are struggling in key algebra-readiness content areas, and provides a robust reporting system for teachers and administrators to detect student strengths and weaknesses and inform to plan supplemental instruction for students struggling in mathematics. To find out more about the MSTAR initiative and RME’s work, please visit www.smu.edu/rme.