STAAR Summative Assessment Bank: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

The following frequently asked questions (FAQs) and responses aim to provide quick, easy-to-digest information relating to the Sirius STAAR Summative Assessment Bank (SSAB) product.

1. What is the Sirius STAAR Assessment Bank & Test Builder?

It’s a secure, online platform designed for administrators to build rigorous benchmarks and common assessments aligned with STAAR 2.0. Available through Sirius Online, it supports year-round assessment creation across all 20 STAAR-tested subjects and grade levels.

2. Where can I learn more about SSAB, including general details?

Explore the Sirius STAAR Summative Assessment Bank (SSAB) on the Sirius Education Solutions website to discover everything you need, from key features and benefits to pricing details. Be sure to check out the short overview video for a quick introduction.

To schedule a demo or get personalized guidance, contact your account executive. If you're unsure who that is, you can find your representative here.

3. Who are the ideal administrators/education leaders to use the summative assessment bank application?

Assessment directors, course planners, and other school leaders involved in district benchmarking are encouraged to explore the SSAB and the Test Builder tab. These tools offer valuable support for designing, managing, and aligning assessments across disciplines and grade levels.

4. What does the Summative Assessment Bank include?

The bank contains over 14,000 items, combining newly developed Sirius STAAR 2.0 questions with released STAAR items. These items span Math, RLA, Science, Social Studies, and Spanish RLA for Grades 3–5.

5. How are the items aligned to STAAR 2.0?

• Every item reflects the latest STAAR 2.0 format and rigor

• Emphasis is placed on Readiness Standards

• Includes new item types such as Technology-Enhanced Items (TEIs), Short Constructed Responses (SCRs), and Extended Constructed Responses (ECRs)

• Simulates the STAAR digital interface for student familiarity

6. What features support assessment design and data use?

• Full TEKS coverage across all tested subjects

• Over 30% of items use STAAR 2.0 formats

• Pre-built, full-length STAAR Practice Tests for every course

• Randomized answer choices to enhance test security

• Grades 3–5 content available in both English and Spanish

• Assessments delivered in a STAAR-like interface

• Exportable reports by student, class, TEKS, and campus to support data-driven intervention

7. Can I customize assessments to fit my classroom needs?

The SSAB was built by Sirius to flex with your assessment needs. Whether you're designing formative checks, summative evaluations, curriculum-based assessments (CBAs), or practice tests, the SSAB provides the tools to support a wide range of testing scenarios.

8. How does the SSAB integrate with single sign-on (SSO) platforms?

To ensure smooth delivery of district-created SSAB materials to teachers, districts should enable their SSO and comprehensive rostering for all administrators, teachers, students, and classes. This setup allows for seamless access and alignment across roles and campuses.

For districts using self-registration, the SSAB is not recommended for district-wide implementation. Centralized rostering and access management are essential to ensure consistency, reliability, and effective delivery of assessment materials. 

Review our Sirius Online Rostering Guide for more information on how to use Clever, ClassLink, or Edlink to roster your district.

9. Does the SSAB work with Eduphoria, DMAC, or similar platforms?

Not directly. Our items cannot currently be imported to other systems. 

Sirius Online provides a robust experience parallel to STAAR, including TEKS reporting on performance and standards, student engagement (tool use, time on task, use of translate or text-to-speech functionalities, etc.), and general usage.

Our platform also has hints, feedback, and rationales for students to use when they go back to review their work, such as for our practice activities (but only after students take the assessment), which no other platform provides. 

Finally, districts are able to export item analysis data for ingestion into their LMS or other reporting applications.

10. Can we enter the Sirius items into our own LMS or testing platform?

No, the items in our test banks—including all pre-built tests—are not licensed for use within external LMS or testing platforms. They are intended for use exclusively within the Sirius platform to ensure proper functionality and content integrity.

11. Can we print the test banks?

No, printing is not supported. All items and tests created within the SSAB are designed exclusively for on-screen, online administration to maintain functionality and security.

12. Can we edit or add our own items?

Items within SSAB are not editable, and custom item creation is not supported. All content is pre-developed to maintain consistency, alignment, and quality across assessments. However, test builders can modify pre-built assessments and supplement them with additional items as needed.

13. What makes Sirius items high quality?

SSAB items are fully aligned with the updated STAAR 2.0 assessments, matching STAAR in content, format, cognitive rigor, and item types. Each SSAB question reflects the latest blueprint and design standards, ensuring educators can confidently prepare students using materials that mirror the actual test experience. This alignment supports instructional planning, targeted practice, and meaningful benchmarking across grade levels and subject areas.

14. Are there any special required steps prior to setting up training?

Before scheduling a training session, the person who will be the SSAB coordinator must complete a survey that includes the names and email addresses of all assessment administrators who will need access to the platform.

To ensure a productive training experience, we ask that all administrators have prior experience with the Sirius Online platform. If they haven’t attended a previous training, this requirement can be fulfilled by completing our eLearning modules.

If you are a district assessment administrator or the designated coordinator responsible for organizing training, please access the survey here.

15. Is training required before use? 

We require district administrators and content specialists to attend SSAB 101: STAAR Summative Assessment Bank Product Training for a comprehensive introduction to the platform and its capabilities.

To explore additional professional learning opportunities, please review the offerings available through Sirius Professional Learning.

16. What does training include?

Training consists of a two-hour session featuring brief demonstrations and hands-on activities. After the session, participants continue practicing independently by completing assessment creation and using the practice folders and tests they created during the training.

17. Is there additional training provided after the first session?

Additional follow-up sessions can be tailored to meet district needs. For deeper academic support, Sirius offers SSAB 201: STAAR Summative Assessment Bank, a specialized training designed to guide districts through complex assessment strategies and data-driven decision-making.