Santa Ana Unified School District

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Santa Ana Unified School District

• Understanding the 2009
• STAR Program
• Department of Research and Evaluation

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Presentation Goals

• By the end of this presentation
• You will be able to answer the
• Who, What, When, Where,Why, and How of the STAR
  Program
• You will be able to understand your childs 2009
  STAR Student Report

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Think back to when you were a young student. . .

• What do you remember about the tests you took?
• What kinds of tests did you take?
• How did you feel?
• What was learned from the tests you took?

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Q Who Participates in the STAR Program?

• Answer
• ALL students in grades two through eleven (2-11)
  must participate in the STAR Program

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Q What is the STAR Program?

• Standardized Testing And Reporting and has four
  parts
• ?California Standards Test (CST) (our focus
  today)
• ?California Modified Assessment (CMA)
• ? California Alternate Performance Assessment
  (CAPA)
• ?Standards Based Test in Spanish
• Your child may have taken one or more parts

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Q What is the STAR Program?(Continued)

• California Standards Tests (CSTs)
• A series of achievement tests developed for
  California public schools to assess state content
  standards.
• (The focus of todays presentation)

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When and Where?

• Q When Does My Child Take the Tests?
• A Every Spring
• Q When Will I receive my childs 2009 STAR
  Report?
• A Most parents/guardians will receive the
  report by mid-September
• Q Where Does My Child Take the Tests?
• A Tests are given at your childs school

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Q How Are STAR Program Results Used to Help
Students?

• Answers
• -Identify Academic Strengths and Needs
• -Meetings with Teachers
• -Alignment to Standards
• -California Reading List
• -A More Complete Picture

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Q How Are STAR Program Results Used for School
Accountability?

• Answers
• -The Academic Performance Index (API)
• -API Schoolwide and Subgroup Reports
• -Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
• -Every Student Counts

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Q What is the test like?

• Lets see what it looks like . . .
• And lets try a few

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Lets try an example. . .What do our children
need to know?How are they tested?

• In 5th grade students must be able to

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From the 5th Grade CST in Mathematics. . . What
is the correct answer? A. B. C. D.
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Now, something a little harder. . .
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The STAR Student Report
You should receive your STAR Student Report in
the mail in September. A guide in multiple
languages also comes with the Student
Report. Your students current teacher also has
your childs STAR results so that he/she can
assist your student better.
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STAR Student Report (Sample)
Source California Department of Education (CDE)
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STAR Student Report (Sample)
Source California Department of Education (CDE)
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STAR Student Report (Sample)
Source California Department of Education (CDE)
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What Does the Scale Score Tell Us?

• A scale score is a number that tells you more
  information about how a student did on the CST.
• Scale scores range between 150 (low) to a 600
  (high).
• Scale scores determine the performance level and
  tell us how close the student is to the next
  performance level

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What does the Performance Level Mean?

• The performance level tells you how your student
  is doing based on the California standards, which
  is what the state identified as expectations for
  each grade level.

Advanced Approximately one or more grade levels
ABOVE the grade level at the time of
test. Proficient Approximately AT grade level at
the time of the test Basic Approximately one
grade level BELOW the grade level during the
test Below Basic Approximately two grade levels
BELOW the grade level during the test Far Below
Basic Approximately three or more grade levels
BELOW the grade level at the time of the test
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STAR Student Report (Sample)
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STAR Student Report (Sample)
For example, this tells us exactly which part(s)
of math the student is the strongest in and which
part(s) he/she needs more help in. This student
is strongest in Estimation, Percents and
Factoring (83 correct) and needs the most help
with Measurement and Geometry (73 correct).
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STAR Student Report
http//www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/readinglist.asp
Source California Department of Education (CDE)
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STAR Student Report
http//www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/
Source California Department of Education (CDE)
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How To Help Your Child Before STAR

• Using Benchmark Results and
• Making Sure Your Student Is Healthy

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Benchmark Student Exam Report
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Benchmark Student Exam Report
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What can I do to help my student prepare for the
STAR?

• At the beginning of and throughout the year
• Review the California Content Standards (with
  your childs teacher) for each subject area
• Ask for the results of your childs benchmark
  tests
• Encourage your child to read everyday
• Connect with your childs teacher about his/her
  progress
• Say, Hi! to your childs teacher
• Attend conferences
• Attend parent meetings
• Review your childs STAR Student Report with your
  child
• Review your childs report card with your child
• During testing
• Ensure Proper Diet and Adequate Rest Before
  Testing
• Help Your Child Understand Teachers Behaviors
  During Testing
• Help Your Child Understand Their Own Behaviors
  During and After Testing
• Avoid Stressful or Emotional Situations in the
  Home, if possible

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Review - Quiz

• What is the name of the Californias standardized
  testing and reporting program?
• What can you find on your childs student report?
• What performance levels are students expected to
  achieve on the California Standards Test?
  Proficient or Basic?

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On line Resources

• California Department of Education
• STAR Web site at
• http//www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/

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Contact Information

• Michelle LePatner
• Director
• Research and Evaluation
• Santa Ana Unified School District
• [phone] Phone
• [phone] FAX