Texas schools will ditch end-of-year standardized testing and instead administer three shorter assessments throughout the academic year.

Why it matters: Getting rid of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) was one of Gov. Greg Abbott's priorities for the last two special sessions.

• A new law's supporters say the measure will alleviate test anxiety among students and will give educators and parents better insight into students' learning throughout the year.

The latest: Abbott signed House Bill 8 into law last week. The measure calls for student assessments in the beginning, middle and end of the school year.

• Test results will be available within two business days and will factor into schools' and districts' annual ratings.

The big picture: Standardized tests in Texas have changed significantly since the days of scantrons, No. 2 pencils and intimidating testing environments.

• In the last 25 years, Texas has switched from TAAS to TAKS to the electronically administered STAAR.

The other side: The Texas American Federation of Teachers agreed with lawmakers that the state's testing system has "longstanding problems" but opposed HB 8, saying it will not do enough to address the issues.

• The organization of 66,000 members wanted lawmakers to broaden the scope of student success indicators to include participation in pre-K, extracurricular activities and career and technical education.
• "Lawmakers haven't gotten rid of high-stakes testing. They've just rebranded it," Texas AFT president Zeph Capo said in a statement.

What's next: The transition to the new format should be completed by the 2027-28 school year, the new law says.

• Meanwhile, the Texas Education Agency and school districts will need to conduct field testing of possible questions for the three assessments.

OpenAI's Stargate project will add five new data centers over the next three years, including one site slated for construction northeast of Round Rock.

Why it matters: The push to build massive, power-thirsty data centers is key to winning the AI race.

Between the lines: OpenAI made the announcement at its new flagship site in Abilene, in partnership with Oracle and SoftBank.

• The additional sites will be located in Milam County — northeast of Austin — Shackelford County in the Panhandle; Lordstown, Ohio; and Doña Ana County, New Mexico.
• OpenAI said in a blog post that the company is investigating additional sites.

The big picture: OpenAI says the new sites put the firm ahead of schedule to lock in its previously announced $500 billion, 10-gigawatt commitment by the end of 2025.

What they're saying: "AI can only fulfill its promise if we build the compute to power it," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a company blog post Tuesday.

• In a separate post on his personal website, Altman warned that limiting compute would force society to make choices between competing priorities — like curing cancer or providing a personalized tutor for "every student on earth."
• "If we are limited by compute, we'll have to choose which one to prioritize; no one wants to make that choice, so let's go build," Altman wrote.

What's next: OpenAI and its partners say they're still evaluating additional sites and expect to announce the location of a new unnamed Midwest location soon.

One detainee died and two others were in critical condition after a sniper opened fire on a Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility yesterday. (Axios)

🗳️ Top Republicans are warning that nominating Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race could jeopardize the party's slim control of the U.S. House in 2026. (Axios)

🏫 Four Austin ISD dual-language elementary programs could relocate as part of plans to close and consolidate campuses. (Community Impact)

❤️ Camp Mystic will reopen one of its campsites in 2026, officials said in an email to families this week. (Texas Tribune)

💰 Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison and his agriculture technology company have purchased a 25-acre site in Lockhart, property records show. (Austin Business Journal 🔒)

We've got you covered with weekend plans.

Friday

🎨 Enjoy dancing and drumming performances at the Bullock Texas State History Museum's American Indian Heritage Day. Free with museum admission, 10am-2:30pm.

Saturday

🍻 Take part in Zilker Brewing's Wunderfest, an Oktoberfest-inspired day of games, food, live music and beer. Join a team to take part in the drinking games tournament at 11am. Free.

📚 Head to First Light's neighborhood block party, featuring live music, author readings, kids activities and restaurant popups. Noon-9pm, free.

Sunday

🍽️ Enjoy Mediterranean cuisine, shop and dance at the St. Elias Mediterranean Festival at 408 East 11th St. Noon-6pm, $5 donation for entry.

• Event also takes place Friday evening and Saturday.

The National Padel League has launched the country's first amateur league, endorsed by the U.S. Padel Association.

Why it matters: Amateur players in the USA National Team League will represent 40 cities, including Austin, on a national stage.

Zoom in: The sport of padel is a mix between tennis and squash. It's played on a smaller, tennis-style court surrounded by glass walls.

How it works: Amateur players of all levels will play on city-based teams and compete for the chance to play at Miami's National Finals in February.

• The league is open to active USPA members 16 and older.

What's next: Registration is open until Oct. 15, and local competitions will begin Oct. 20.