What Is the STAR Program and When Does It Happen?
Students at our school will participate again this spring in the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program. The STAR Program, which is authorized by state law until 2011, is an important part of the California assessment system.
The purpose of the STAR Program is to measure how well students are learning the knowledge and skills identified in the California content standards. The content standards describe what students at each grade level should know and be able to do in English-language arts, mathematics, history-social science, and science.
All students in grades two through eleven participate in the STAR Program each year. Most students take the California Standards Tests (CSTs). Students in grades three and seven also take the California Achievement Tests, Sixth Edition Survey (CAT/6 Survey) along with the CSTs. Students with significant cognitive disabilities, who are unable to take the CSTs even with accommodations or modifications, take the California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA). Eligible special education students in grades three through five with disabilities that prevent them from achieving grade-level standards on the CSTs, with or without accommodations, can take the California Modified Assessment (CMA). The CSTs, CAT/6 Survey, CAPA, and CMA are given in English only.
In addition to taking the STAR Program tests that are given in English, eligible Spanish-speaking English learners must take a designated primary language test (DPLT) that is administered in Spanish. State law (Education Code Section 60640) requires all Spanish-speaking English learners to take the 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.
In 2008, students required to take a DPLT will be given the Standards-based Tests in Spanish (STS) in grades two through seven; students will be given the Aprenda, La prueba de logros español, Tercera edición (Aprenda 3) in grades eight through eleven.
Why More Than One Test
The 2008 STAR Program includes six tests that provide different information for different purposes. By having more than one test, all students can participate in the STAR Program. The purpose of the CSTs is to show how well students are achieving California content standards in core subjects. Results of the CAT/6 Survey allow for national comparisons. The CAPA and CMA results show how well students with differing degrees of disabilities are achieving California content standards in the subjects tested. The STS and the Aprenda 3 assess the academic achievement of Spanish-speaking English learners.
Monitoring Academic Achievement
Together, the STAR Program tests ensure that information about the academic achievement of all students is collected on a regular basis. This information is critical for evaluating the quality of education provided for California’s students. To ensure that schools have the most complete information possible, all students need to participate. STAR Program test results, along with other available information, help school staff form a more complete picture of their students’ academic achievement.
The STAR Program includes the following tests that students at our school are to take on the dates listed:
| School District Testing Dates |
School District Makeup Dates |
2008 STAR Program Tests |
|---|---|---|
California Standards Tests (CSTs) California Writing Standards Tests* California Achievement Tests, Sixth Edition Survey (CAT/6 Survey) California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA) California Modified Assessment (CMA) Standards-based Tests in Spanish (STS) Aprenda, La prueba de logros en español, Tercera edición (Aprenda 3) |
If you have any questions about the California content standards or STAR Program, please direct them to your student’s teacher(s), counselor, or the school office.
* These writing tests are part of the CSTs in English-language arts in grades four and seven.
