Questions and Answers: Aprenda 3

Are all English learners required to participate in the STAR Program?

Yes. Under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 and state law, all students, including English learners, are required to participate in the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program. All English learners, regardless of their primary language, are required to take the STAR Program tests administered in English. This includes the California Standards Tests (CSTs) and, in grades three and seven only, the California Achievement Tests, Sixth Edition Survey (CAT/6 Survey). State law (Education Code Section 60640) requires that all Spanish-speaking English learners take the designated primary language test (DPLT) in addition to the tests in the STAR Program that are administered in English if:

• They receive instruction in Spanish (regardless of how long they have been in school in the United States), or
• They have been enrolled in a school in the United States for less than 12 months (cumulative).

At the option of the school district, schools also may test English learners who will have been in a United States school 12 months or more (cumulative) and who are not receiving instruction in Spanish. The STAR Program does not include DPLTs for English learners who speak primary languages other than Spanish.

What is done to assist English learners on the STAR Program tests administered in English?

English learners may use English-to-primary language translation glossaries or word lists that are regularly used in the classroom and do not include definitions or formulas. This assistance may be provided for all subjects except English-language arts on the CSTs and may not be provided in any subject tested on the CAT/6 Survey. They also may have test directions translated for them and ask clarifying questions in their primary language for all subjects tested on the CSTs and CAT/6 Survey. Students who are English learners may be tested separately if such a setting is part of the regular classroom instruction or assessments. The variations allowed for English learners are listed in the Matrix 2. Matrix of Test Variations for Administration of California Statewide Assessment (October 2007), which is available on the Student Testing Web page.

What is the designated primary language test?

The DPLT is part of the STAR Program. In spring 2008, the Standards-based Tests in Spanish (STS) are the DPLT to be administered to eligible English learners in grades two through seven. In grades eight through eleven, the DPLT to be administered to eligible English learners is the Aprenda, La prueba de logros en español, Tercera edición (Aprenda 3).

Why are two different tests administered as the DPLT?

Currently, the DPLT involves two different tests because the CDE is completing the development of the STS and transitioning from the Aprenda 3. This transition began in spring 2007 with grades two, three, and four. The STS are scheduled to replace the Aprenda 3 as the DPLT in all grades tested by spring 2009.

The STS are standards-based tests developed exclusively for California public schools. These tests are based on California content standards in reading-language arts and mathematics. Unlike the STS, the Aprenda 3 is a published norm-referenced achievement test of general academic knowledge in Spanish that is not based explicitly on California content standards. The STS, therefore, will allow Spanish-speaking English learners to demonstrate achievement of the California content standards.

When are the STS and Aprenda 3 to be given in spring 2008?

School districts are required to give the STS during the same 21-day window established for the CSTs and the CAT/6 Survey (grades three and seven only). Within this window, the STS may be administered before or after the CSTs. School districts are required to schedule the administration of the Aprenda 3 between March 15 and May 14, 2008. Most school districts give the Aprenda 3 prior to the administration of other STAR Program tests.

How much time are students given to take the STS or the Aprenda 3?

The STS and Aprenda 3 are not timed tests. School districts are provided with recommended times for students to complete each test, which vary by grade and subject. Students who are actively working on a test at the end of the recommended time must be allowed more time to complete the test.

Can parents or guardians see the STS or Aprenda 3?

No. State law (Education Code Section 60616) states that all of the tests in the STAR Program, which includes the STS and Aprenda 3, are to remain secure. This means that the tests cannot be seen by anyone other than the students who take the tests and the parties specified by law such as school board members and legislators.

What is done to assist English learners with disabilities?

Most English learners with disabilities take the CSTs, CMAs, STS, or Aprenda 3 along with other students under standard conditions. Some English learners with disabilities may require testing variations, accommodations, and/or modifications to be able to take the CSTs, STS, or Aprenda 3. These are listed in Matrix 1. Matrix of Test Variations, Accommodations, and Modifications for Administration of California Statewide Assessments (October 2007), which is available on the Student Testing Web page. There also is a separate Matrix for the California Modified Assessment Test Variations and Accommodations for the 2008 Administration found on the STAR Web page.

Test variations are allowed for any student who regularly uses them in the classroom. Accommodations and modifications must be specified in each student’s individualized education program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan. The CMA does not allow for modifications because it is a modified test.

What question formats are found on the STS and Aprenda 3?

Questions for all of the STS and Aprenda 3 tests are in a multiple-choice format. Students are presented with a question and asked to select the correct answer from four possible choices on the STS or from four or five possible choices on the Aprenda 3. Students in grades two and three mark their answer choices in the test booklet. Students in other grades mark their answer choices on a separate answer document. All multiple-choice questions are machine scored.

When do parents or guardians receive their student’s STS or Aprenda 3 student reports?

As required for all tests in the STAR Program, student reports for the STS or Aprenda 3 must be distributed to parents or guardians within 20 working days after the school district has received them. Individual STS and Aprenda 3 reports should arrive in all school districts by the end of September. The reports for these two tests will be provided in Spanish.

Note: Parents or guardians should be reminded that the students’ results are confidential and maintained only by the school district.

What information will be included on the STS or Aprenda 3 student report?

The STS student report will provide results that describe how well students achieved identified California content standards for reading-language arts and mathematics. The STS report for 2008 will provide percent correct scores for each subject. Standard setting is anticipated for fall 2008 for grades two through seven. The standard setting will allow future STAR student reports for the STS to provide proficiency level information. The Aprenda 3 student report will include score information for each subject area of the test (i.e., reading, mathematics, language, and spelling).

How are STS or Aprenda 3 results used to help students achieve in school?

The results in the STS or Aprenda 3 student report provide information that may be used with other achievement data, including the results on the CSTs or CMA, to identify Spanish-speaking English learners’ academic strengths and areas that need improvement. Parents or guardians should review areas of concern with their student’s teachers to discuss specific help needed to improve learning.

The STS or Aprenda 3 student report is one source of information about the progress Spanish-speaking English learners are making in school. Parents, guardians, and teachers also should review grades, classroom work, and the results from other classroom and standardized tests for a more complete picture of each student’s academic progress.

Additional Information

Additional information about the STS, Aprenda 3, or other tests in the STAR Program is available on the STAR Web page.