Sample Letter for Parents/Guardians, Grades 9-11

NOTE:  Before this letter is distributed, be sure to insert the information required in brackets and in bold.

Dear Parent or Guardian:

Enclosed is the STAR Student Report that provides your student’s 2007 test results for the California Standards Tests (CSTs). These tests are an important part of the California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program. The purpose of the CSTs is to determine how well students are achieving California’s content standards.

The CSTs were given for the following subjects:

• Grade nine , ten, and eleven
  • English-language arts
  • History-social science
  • Mathematics
  • Science

Students answered the multiple-choice questions on the CSTs by selecting one of four options as the correct answer. Along with the STAR Student Report for the CSTs, you also will find a guide designed to help you understand your student’s scores.

The state target is for all students to perform at the proficient or advanced level on the CSTs. If your student’s performance is at the basic, below basic, or far below basic level in one or more subject areas tested, you are encouraged to schedule a meeting with your student’s teacher(s) or counselor to discuss assistance the school can provide to help your student improve his or her academic progress.

Grade Ten Students Only

Most students in grade ten took two science tests this spring. The first science test covered selected content standards from middle school life sciences and high school biology. This test meets federal requirements for the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. The second science test was for the science course in which they were enrolled. Results for both science tests are included in the STAR Student Report for the CSTs.

Grade Eleven Students Only

If your student in in grade eleven, he or she may have taken the English Early Assessment Program (EAP) test and/or the mathematics EAP test. These tests assess the readiness of eleventh graders to take entry-level courses at a California State University (CSU) in these core subjects. The EAP results are intended to give students information about additional skills they may need to develop in their senior year of high school so that they enter college ready to enroll in baccalaureate courses. Results for students who take one of both of the EAP tests are provided on the back of the STAR Student Report for the CSTs, beginning this year.

It is important to keep in mind that information on the STAR Student Report for the CSTs is one source of information about the progress your student is making in school. Classroom work, grades, and other test results should also be reviewed for a more complete picture of your student’s academic progress.

If you have any questions about your student’s report, please contact the school at [insert contact information] or talk with your student’s teacher(s) or counselor. You are also invited to attend a STAR Program information meeting being held [insert date] at [insert time] in [insert school location]. We look forward to talking with you about your student’s educational achievements.

Sincerely,