Happy Monday Everyone! Well this week is one of the biggest weeks of the school year. Starting this week all grades 2-6 will begin STAR testing. To ensure they are ready ALL students are eligible to receive a free breakfast this week only. Please send them no later than 7:45 am to make sure they have time to eat and get to class. Also please do your best to make sure the kids get at least 8 hours sleep and that they get to school on time. Any student that arrives late will not be allowed to enter the class until the testing is over, so please make sure you arrive before 8:10 am. Thank you
The California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program measures how well the California education system and its students are performing.
These tests measure student achievement in:
Mathematics English–language Arts Science History-social science Purposes for Testing. Teachers, parents and education officials can use the results to identify strengths and weaknesses in order to improve student learning. Students and their parents can compare individual academic abilities against grade-level requirements and the results of other students in that grade. The goal in California is to have all students perform at the proficient or advanced level.
Who Takes the STAR?
Each spring, California public school students in grades two through eleven take a STAR test developed by grade and subject, unless a parent or guardian submits a written request exempting them.
Test takers include students with disabilities and students whose first language is not English. State law requires all Spanish-speaking English learners to also take the Standards-based Tests in Spanish (STS).
STAR Program Tests
The STAR Program includes four tests. Students take the test that’s right for their age and individual needs. The tests include:
The California Standards Tests (CSTs) are for California public schools and are aligned to the state content standards. All students in grades two through eleven take the CSTs for the subjects listed for their grade. The California Modified Assessment (CMA) is a grade-level assessment for students with disabilities in California public schools who meet the state criteria.
The California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA) is for California public school students who have significant cognitive disabilities and cannot take the CSTs even with accommodations or modifications.
The Standards-based Tests in Spanish (STS) have been developed for Spanish-speaking English learners in California public schools. These tests measure the achievement of state content standards in reading/language arts and mathematics in Spanish.
For more information about these tests, including when tests are taken, visit the California Department of Education website.
Statements of Performance on the CST
The California Board of Education determined the performance levels as:
Advanced
— This category represents a superior performance. Students demonstrate a comprehensive and complex understanding of the knowledge and skills measured by this assessment, at this grade, in this content area.
Proficient
— This category represents a solid performance. Students demonstrate a competent and adequate understanding of the knowledge and skills measured by this assessment, at this grade, in this content area.
Basic
— This category represents a limited performance. Students demonstrate a partial and rudimentary understanding of the knowledge and skills measured by this assessment, at this grade, in this content area.
Far Below/Below Basic
— This category represents a serious lack of performance. Students demonstrate little or flawed understanding of the knowledge and skills measured by this assessment, at this grade, in this content area.
The goal in California is to have all students perform at the proficient or advanced level.
1. What is the STAR testing program?
A. Tests that evaluate how well students meet California standards.
B. Tests that measure the achievement gap between ethnic groups.
C. All of the above.
2. What do the test scores mean to schools?
A. The tests help determine a school’s Academic Performance Index, which shows how well it measures up to state and federal benchmarks.
B. If a school falls short of federal benchmarks for more than two years, it could face sanctions under the federal No Child Left Behind law.
C. Schools with low scores for several years can ultimately be taken over by the state.
D. All of the above.
3. What’s tested?
A. English.
B. Science.
C. Social science.
D. Math.
E. All of the above.
4. Who takes them?
A. Students in grades 2 to 11.
B. Students with disabilities.
C. English learners.
D. All of the above.
5. What tests are included?
A. California Standards Test – Measures how well students meet state standards. The test also is available in Spanish.
B. California Achievement Test – Assesses third- through seventh-graders in core subjects.
C. The California Modified Assessment – Tests students with disabilities.
D. The California Alternate Performance Assessment – Tests students with cognitive disabilities who have trouble taking CST test without help.
E. All of the above.
6. How are students scored?
A. Advanced – A complete understanding of the content.
B. Proficient – An adequate understanding of the information.
C. Basic – A basic understanding of the materials.
D. Far below basic – A serious lack of performance.
E. All of the above.
7. When do parents get the results?
A. STAR results are usually mailed to a student’s home by the school district.
B. The results generally come in 20 days after the schools receive them.
C. The test scores are available in August.
D. All of the above.
8. How does the score affect my child?
A. It can be released to colleges for admission, credit or placement at a parent’s request.
B. It does not go on the student’s high school transcript.
C. All of the above.
Answers in bold.