Aligned with the official TEA STAAR rubric ↗

AI STAAR SCR Grader

Free AI STAAR SCR grader for teachers. Score Texas STAAR Short Constructed Responses for Grades 3-8 RLA and EOC English I/II against the official 0-2 TEA rubric.

Grade band:Scored on the 0-2 STAAR SCR rubric.

0 charsSCR is usually 1-3 sentences

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The TEA SCR rubric (0-2 points)

One criterion, three score points. A 2 requires a complete answer, specific text evidence, and reasoning that ties them together.

Score	Band	What it means
2	Full credit	Complete, accurate answer with specific text evidence (quote or precise paraphrase) and clear reasoning that ties the evidence to the question. Stays within the 1-3 sentence single-paragraph format.
1	Partial credit	Partially correct or vague answer. Evidence is general, incomplete, or loosely connected to the question. Reasoning is weak, implied, or missing the cause-and-effect link.
0	No credit	Incorrect, off-topic, or incoherent. No relevant text evidence. Does not meet the prompt requirements.

The most common 2-to-1 drop: a strong quote with no reasoning sentence after it. The TEA rubric weights the link between evidence and claim, so leaving the explanation implicit pulls the score from a 2 to a 1.

Source: official TEA rubrics and scoring guides at tea.texas.gov · Reading Language Arts Resources.

Sample scored STAAR SCRs at every band

One excerpt at each band of the 0-2 SCR scale, with the rubric reasoning behind the score. Excerpts are illustrative, not real student work.

Score 2/2: Full credit

Prompt

How does the author show that the narrator changes by the end of the passage?

The author shows the narrator becomes more independent. In paragraph 4 she says, "I had to figure out the train alone for the first time," which proves she stopped depending on her parents. This change shows that travel pushed her to grow up.

Why this score: Direct answer, a specific quoted line of evidence, and a reasoning sentence that connects the quote to the claim. Three sentences, one paragraph.

Score 1/2: Partial credit

Prompt

How does the author show that the narrator changes by the end of the passage?

The narrator changes because she learns stuff. The story says she did things alone and that made her grow up.

Why this score: The claim is on-topic but the evidence is paraphrased without specificity, and the reasoning is generic. No quote or concrete detail from the passage.

Score 0/2: No credit

Prompt

How does the author show that the narrator changes by the end of the passage?

The narrator went on vacation. I also like to travel with my family in the summer.

Why this score: Off-topic. No text evidence and no reasoning tied to the prompt. Personal anecdote replaces the source-text response.

How to structure a STAAR SCR

Three sentences in this order: answer, evidence, reasoning. The same shape works across grade bands and subjects.

Sentence	Goal	What strong responses do
1. The answer	State the answer clearly and on-topic.	One sentence that directly answers the prompt. Avoid restating the question. Avoid background or set-up; jump to the claim.
2. The evidence	Quote or precisely paraphrase from the passage.	One sentence with a quote or close paraphrase that matches the answer. Use signal phrases like "The author writes..." or "In paragraph 3, the narrator says...".
3. The reasoning	Explain how the evidence proves the answer.	One sentence that links the evidence back to the claim ("This shows..."). On a 2-point item, omitting this sentence is the most common reason a strong-evidence response drops to a 1.

ECR vs SCR: when to use which

Same Texas STAAR test, two different writing tasks. Use the SCR grader for short answers and the ECR grader for full essays.

Feature	STAAR SCR	STAAR ECR
Length	1-3 sentences, single paragraph	4-5 paragraphs, up to 2,300 characters
Rubric scale	0-2 points (single criterion)	0-5 points (Org/Dev 0-3 + Conventions 0-2)
Focus	Answer 1 focused question with text evidence	Build a full argument with thesis, body, and conclusion
Subjects	RLA + selected Social Studies + Science	RLA only (Grades 3-8 + EOC English I/II)
Time on test	5-10 minutes per item	30-45 minutes per essay
CoGrader rubric	Score on the 0-2 SCR rubric for quick per-item feedback	Score on the official TEA 0-5 ECR rubric with full per-criterion feedback

Looking for the longer ECR? See the STAAR ECR Grader

STAAR SCR in Spanish

TEA delivers Grades 3-5 RLA in Spanish, including SCR items. CoGrader scores Spanish SCRs in Spanish.

Bilingual and dual-language teachers can grade Spanish SCR responses with the same 0-2 rubric Texas uses on the Grades 3-5 Spanish RLA test.

CoGrader scores Spanish SCRs in Spanish: the rubric language, the evidence callouts, and the feedback are all generated in the rubric's language so students get back guidance they can read.

See all Texas STAAR rubrics in CoGrader

Meet CoGrader, your AI Teaching Assistant

Built for Texas educators who need to grade SCRs across a class fast, give every student rubric-aligned feedback, and see class-wide trends in minutes instead of hours.

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Streamline your grading process and save hours or days.

Ensure fairness and consistency

Remove human biases from the equation with CoGrader's objective and fair grading system.

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Class Analytics

Get an x-ray of your class's performance to spot challenges and strengths, and inform planning.

Google Classroom Integration

Import assignments from Google Classroom to CoGrader, and export reviewed feedback and grades back to it.

Canvas, Schoology, and DMAC

Import from DMAC, Google Classroom, Canvas, or Schoology. CoGrader works with the tools your district already uses.

Pick a STAAR rubric to use in CoGrader

Open any rubric in CoGrader to grade a whole class of SCRs at once with class analytics and per-item feedback.

Grades 6-English II Argumentative/Opinion

6-12

Grades Development and Organization of Ideas, Organization, Evidence, Expression of Ideas and Conventions.

Click here to use Texas STAAR Grades 6-EII Argument/Opinion Rubric in CoGrader

Grades 6-English II Informational

6-12

Grades Development and Organization of Ideas, Organization, Evidence, Expression of Ideas and Conventions.

Click here to use Texas STAAR Grades 6-EII Informational Rubric in CoGrader

Grades 3-5 Argumentative/Opinion

3-5

Grades Development and Organization of Ideas and Conventions.

Click here to use Texas STAAR Grades 3-5 Rubric in CoGrader

Grades 3-5 Informational

3-5

Grades Development and Organization of Ideas and Conventions.

Click here to use Texas STAAR Grades 3-5 Informational Rubric in CoGrader

Grades 3-5 - Spanish Argumentative/Opinion

3-5

Grades Development and Organization of Ideas and Conventions.

Click here to use Texas STAAR Grades 3-5 Spanish Argumentative/Opinion Rubric in CoGrader

+30 Rubrics Available

You can also build your own rubric or criteria from scratch.

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Last updated: May 10, 2026 · Reviewed against official TEA STAAR rubrics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything teachers ask about scoring the STAAR SCR.

What is a STAAR SCR?

A STAAR SCR (Short Constructed Response) is a brief written answer of 1-3 sentences in a single paragraph. Students respond to a focused question about a passage or stimulus and cite text evidence. SCR items appear on the Texas STAAR Reading Language Arts test in Grades 3-8 and EOC English I/II, plus selected Social Studies and Science tests.

How is a STAAR SCR scored?

The STAAR SCR is scored on a 0-2 point scale using a single criterion. A 2 requires a complete answer, specific text evidence, and reasoning that links the two. A 1 indicates a partial answer or vague evidence. A 0 is off-topic or incoherent. Some RLA writing-style SCR items use a 0-1 (point earned) variant.

How long should a STAAR SCR be?

STAAR SCR responses are short: 1-3 sentences in a single paragraph. Science SCR items are capped near 475 characters. Stronger responses tend to be tighter, not longer, and padding with extra sentences does not raise the score.

What is the difference between SCR and ECR on STAAR?

SCR is a Short Constructed Response: 1-3 sentences, scored 0-2, focused on one question. ECR is an Extended Constructed Response: a full 4-5 paragraph essay, scored 0-5 (Organization & Development 0-3 + Conventions 0-2). Both appear on the same STAAR RLA test, but they target very different writing skills. See the STAAR ECR Grader.

Is the STAAR SCR auto-graded?

Yes. TEA uses a hybrid scoring model: an automated scoring engine grades first, and human scorers review responses where the engine has low confidence. SCR items, because they are short and tightly scoped, tend to have higher automated agreement than the longer ECR.

Does CoGrader grade STAAR SCR in Spanish?

Yes. CoGrader scores Spanish SCR responses for Grades 3-5 RLA on the same 0-2 rubric. Feedback is generated in the rubric language, so dual-language students get guidance they can read.

How should students structure a STAAR SCR?

Three sentences in this order: (1) answer the question directly, (2) cite a specific quote or paraphrase from the passage, (3) explain how the evidence supports the answer. Skipping the explanation sentence is the most common reason a 2 drops to a 1.

Can students use evidence from outside the passage on a STAAR SCR?

No. SCR responses are text-based. Strong responses cite a specific quote or close paraphrase from the assigned passage or stimulus. Personal anecdotes or outside facts do not earn evidence credit.

How does CoGrader help students prepare for the STAAR SCR?

Teachers can run unlimited SCR practice rounds, get rubric-aligned feedback per student, and use class analytics to see which students are dropping points on evidence vs. reasoning. CoGrader integrates with Google Classroom, Canvas, Schoology, and DMAC.

What grades does the STAAR SCR cover?

On the RLA test: Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 plus EOC English I and English II. SCR items also appear on STAAR Social Studies (Grade 8 + EOC) and Science (Grades 5 and 8) assessments. Format and 0-2 scoring carry over across subjects.

Is CoGrader FERPA and SOC 2 compliant?

Yes. CoGrader is SOC 2 Type 1, FERPA, COPPA, and SOPIPA compliant, and follows the NIST 1.1 framework. Texas districts can review the full compliance pack on request.

What does it cost?

Individual teachers can use CoGrader free. Schools and districts get custom plans with admin controls, district-wide analytics, and LMS integrations. See pricing.

Looking for the full Texas STAAR grading platform?

Beyond the SCR, CoGrader also grades STAAR ECR essays on the 0-5 TEA rubric, supports custom TEKS-aligned rubrics, and runs class-wide STAAR analytics.

AI Grader for Texas STAAR See the STAAR ECR Grader