STAAR Formative Assessment Bank: Test Building Quick Guide

STAAR Formative Assessment Bank: Test Building Quick Guide

After reviewing the STAAR Formative Assessment Bank (SFAB) guide, engaging in hands-on practice, and attending the teacher product training users will be able to complete the following test development and assessment publishing tasks across key interface tabs in the system.
Here is an overview of the key functions teachers will use to build assessments in the SFAB platform.

Content Tab: View Assessments
  1. Use the Content tab to view formative assessments you have already created. These are stored in your My Assessments folder. To access it, open the drop-down menu and select your name—this will display your personalized folder. 

Test Builder Tab: Building and Assigning Assessments

  1. Use the Test Builder tab to design your formative classroom assessments. Select a subject-level item bank, choose the items you want to include, and add them to the test staging bin. From there, you can arrange and sequence the items to finalize your assessment.
Class Card: Assigning Assessments
  1. To locate a test for student administration, go to the Content tab on your class card and open the My Assessments folder. Assigning these assessments follows the same process as assigning content in your Sirius Online courses.

Test Building Process

This quick guide offers a comprehensive overview of the assessment creation process, providing test builders with a step-by-step framework for developing and analyzing tests—from initial construction to final result interpretation.

Add the My Assessments Folder to your Class

  1. To add your My Assessments folder to your class card, click on the Content tab in the upper right,  then go to the Product drop down menu and find your name to open your My Assessments folder.  This is where you will store your assessments.
  2. Click on the ellipsis (...) on the My Assessments folder and select Add to Class. This will add the folder to the Content tab on your class card.

Create an Assessment

  1. Navigate to the Test Builder tab and click Create New to begin building your assessment shell.
  2. In the Create New Assessment modal, complete the following fields:

    1. Name: Enter a clear and descriptive title. We recommend including the grade level, subject area, assessment type, and date (e.g., Grade 5 Math Bell Ringer – 10/1/25).
Info
Assessment names must be unique. To avoid duplication, we recommend including a date in your assessment title.
    1. Description: Provide a brief summary of the assessment. It is helpful to reference the standards being assessed.
    2. Select Template: Use the drop-down menu to choose a subject-level template. This selection determines which tools and references students will have access to during the test.

  1. Click Create to generate your assessment shell. The new test will appear in the Test Builder tab with the name you created, ready for item selection, customization, and further editing.
  2. In the Test Builder tab, locate and click on the assessment shell you want to work with.
  3. From the Item Bank dropdown menu, select the source of items you would like to use:
    1. End of Course (EOC) Formative: Algebra, English I and English II
    2. Grades 3–5 Formative: Math and Reading Language Arts in English and Spanish
    3. Grades 6–8 Formative: Math and Reading Language Arts
    4. STAAR Released Test Questions: Math, Reading Language Arts, Science and Social Studies in grades three through high school.

  1. To narrow down the items you need to review, select a filtering method—either by Standards or by Tags.
Notes
To reset filters to “start fresh,” click the Reset Filters link at the top of the search panel, otherwise your searches narrow based on your first and subsequent menu selections across both standards and tags.

  1. Click on the checkbox next to each item you would like to place on the assessment and then click Add Items.
  2. Questions will appear in the staging bin on the left, click the Plus sign (+) below each item you would like to place on the test, or click the Plus sign (+) at the top to Place all items shown below.  Items will be placed on your Assessment to the right.
Notes
  1. Use the up and down arrow keys to adjust an item's position. To remove an item from the test, click the X button—deleted items will be sent to the staging bin and can be re-added later. To shuffle item order, click the Randomize button.
  2. Click Preview to review the test. 
  1. To add more items to your test, click Add More Items and follow steps 6–8.
  2.  When you're finished authoring your assessment, click Exit—it will be automatically saved to your My Assessments folder and will be ready to assign.

Assigning Assessments

Now that your assessment is created, it is time to assign it to your class. You can do this in one of two ways: from the Content tab on your class card or through the Test Builder tab.

To Assign from the Class Card

  1. Go to the Classes tab in the top right corner and locate your Course card. Click the Content tab.
  2. Open your My Assessments folder, any assessments you have created will be listed there.
  3. Find the assessment you want to assign and click Assign.
  4. This will open the Assign modal, just like in the Sirius Online platform. Complete the required fields and click Assign to finalize.

To Assign from the Test Builder Tab

  1. Go to the Test Builder tab in the top right corner and locate the assessment you would like to assign to students.
  2. Click on the ellipsis (...) of the Assessment card.
  3. Click Assign from the drop down menu. 
  4. This will open the Assign modal, just like in the Sirius Online platform. Complete the required fields and click Assign to finalize.

Reports

Teachers can view real-time performance data on the Assessment Score Card located in the Assignments tab of their class cards. For more details, refer to the Assignments Score Card
section in the Sirius Online User Guide: Teachers.

For details on how to view aggregate assessment results, refer to the Reporting in Sirius Online
section of the Sirius Online User Guide: Teachers. 

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