Texas HB 8: What the Benchmark Testing Ban Means for Districts and Instruction

In the second special session of 2025, the 89th Texas Legislature has passed HB 8, a sweeping overhaul of the state’s assessment system. Among its most impactful provisions is the prohibition on locally required benchmark testing and practice exams. For Texas districts, HB 8 will not only reshape instructional time but also redefine the roles of assessment departments and the tools they use.

This Q&A guide breaks down what HB 8 means, why lawmakers passed it, and how districts can prepare for the transition.

❓What is HB 8?

HB 8 is landmark education legislation passed during the 2025 special session of the Texas Legislature. Its core mission is to shift student testing away from high-stakes, end-of-year assessments and toward an “instructionally supportive” model.

Highlights include:

A transition away from the STAAR exam beginning in 2027–2028.
Three state-administered diagnostics (beginning, middle, and end of year) in reading, math, science, and social studies.
Online reporting within 48 hours of results for parents and teachers.
A ban on most local benchmark assessments and vendor practice tests not tied to instruction.
Streamlining of end-of-course (EOC) exams, with fewer subjects tested.

❓Why does HB 8 ban benchmark tests and practice exams?

HB 8’s benchmark testing ban was driven by several concerns:

Over-testing: Some districts administered 10–12 benchmark exams per year, cutting deeply into instructional time.
Narrowed instruction: Benchmark exams often mimicked STAAR, encouraging “teaching to the test” rather than authentic learning.
Equity issues: Wealthier districts purchased high-quality diagnostic systems, while others relied on cheaper or outdated tools. HB 8 aims to ensure all students have access to the same high-quality state-provided assessments.
Public frustration: Parents and teachers voiced strong opposition to redundant testing and constant STAAR prep.

By banning local benchmarks and test prep practices, lawmakers hope to return valuable instructional minutes to teachers while providing uniform data statewide.

❓When does the HB 8 benchmark and test prep ban take effect?

The ban on locally required benchmark testing, vendor practice exams, and STAAR-style test prep under HB 8 takes effect immediately upon the Governor’s signature.

Grades K–2

Districts may administer up to two state-approved diagnostic assessments per year (for example, beginning- and end-of-year literacy or numeracy diagnostics). These diagnostics are designed to guide instruction in early reading and math, not to serve as practice tests.

Grades 3–8

Districts are prohibited from requiring any local benchmark or practice tests. This prohibition remains in place until 2027, when the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will begin identifying and approving certain diagnostics that may be used for instructional purposes. Teacher-created quizzes and unit tests are still allowed, but full-length practice STAARs or vendor-provided benchmark packets are banned.

High School

Campuses may administer no more than two locally required benchmarks per tested subject per year before an end-of-course exam. State- and nationally recognized assessments (PSAT, PreACT, SAT, ACT, AP, IB) remain permitted, as do classroom-level tests.

Why the immediate effect?

Lawmakers structured HB 8 this way so districts could not continue “business as usual” with redundant test prep and multiple benchmarks for another two years. The intent is to stop wasted instructional time right away while TEA builds the new statewide assessment system that launches in 2027–28.

Bottom line:

K–2: Up to two diagnostics per year.
3–8: Total ban on benchmarks until 2027-2028 at the earliest.
HS: Only one per subject before an EOC.
Effective immediately once HB 8 is signed.

❓How will districts react to the HB 8 ban?

Districts will likely respond in several ways:

Vendor contracts canceled: Many contracts with companies providing benchmark tests or practice packets will be canceled or restructured.
Assessment Department reorganization: Assessment staff whose main responsibility was benchmark testing will see their roles evolve.
Instructional focus: Superintendents will seek to demonstrate that instructional time is being prioritized over test prep.

❓Will HB 8 eliminate jobs in District Assessment departments?

Probably not, but it will transform them.

Local Testing Coordinators and other assessment personnel will no longer manage benchmark test logistics. Instead, their expertise will be redeployed into Instructional Data Coaching, Data Analysis, and development of curriculum-based formative assessment materials.
Some departments may be rebranded — for example, from “Assessment” to “Teaching and Learning Support.”
Larger districts are likely to expand instructional coaching roles, embedding former assessment staff into curriculum teams to help teachers use data more effectively.

HB 8 changes the nature of the work, but not the need for it.

❓What can districts learn from other states?

Texas is following a broader national trend away from single high-stakes assessments toward through-year progress monitoring:

Florida (FAST, 2022): Districts repurposed testing staff into instructional data coaches.
Louisiana (LEAP 360): Local benchmark coordinators became curriculum-aligned assessment coaches.
New York (2015 reforms): Staff shifted toward supporting teachers in formative assessment practices.

These examples suggest Texas districts will not lose capacity — they’ll simply redefine how assessment staff support instruction.

❓What will superintendents do with Local Testing Coordinators?

Superintendents essentially have three options:

Cut positions (more likely in small districts with lean budgets).
Repurpose staff into instructional coaching roles, training teachers to use assessment data for lesson planning and intervention.
Expand accountability/compliance functions, ensuring TEA reporting remains accurate and timely.

Most large and mid-sized districts will lean toward option #2, especially since HB 8 frames assessments as tools for improving teaching and learning.

❓What opportunities does HB 8 create?

While some see HB 8 as restrictive, it opens important opportunities:

Instructional alignment: Teachers can spend more time on curriculum and less on practice tests.
Progress monitoring: Districts can adopt systems that provide ongoing feedback rather than one-off benchmarks designed to predict STAAR scores.
Data coaching: Redeployed assessment staff can support teachers with real-time instructional strategies.

This transition also allows districts to modernize their tools. State-provided diagnostics will cover minimum requirements, but districts still need platforms that tie student progress directly to standards and curriculum.

❓How does Classwork.com fit into the HB 8 transition?

Classwork.com has been built on the philosophy that HB 8 is now mandating: progress monitoring at the curriculum level, using authentic test-item formats that mirror high-stakes exams without turning classrooms into test-prep factories.

For districts navigating HB 8, Classwork.com offers:

Curriculum-embedded progress monitoring — measuring student growth as part of regular classwork.
Test-like item types — giving students year-round familiarity with high-stakes formats, but in context.
Actionable dashboards — enabling instructional coaches and teachers to use data to guide interventions.
Equity of access — one consistent system across a district, avoiding the patchwork of vendor-provided benchmarks.

In practice, this means districts can redeploy their assessment staff into instructional support roles with an easy-to-use platform already designed for the HB 8 era.

❓What is the bottom line for district leaders?

The HB 8 benchmark and test-prep ban is not about eliminating assessment staff — it’s about transforming them.

Assessment departments will evolve into Instructional Support teams.
Superintendents will be expected to show how redeployed staff are improving teaching, not just administering tests.

Districts that succeed under HB 8 will leverage tools like Classwork.com to ensure progress monitoring happens naturally within curriculum, producing actionable data without endless test prep.

Final Thought: HB 8 signals a shift in Texas education from testing first to teaching first. Districts that act now — by retraining staff, rethinking assessment roles, and adopting platforms like Classwork.com — will not only comply with HB 8 but also deliver better outcomes for students and teachers alike.