1. Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) ProgramBilingual Coordinators Network Meeting UpdateJohn Boivin, Administrator STAR Program and Assessment Transition Office March 15, 2012

2. General Purpose • California’s content standards, adopted by the State Board of Education, are the basis for curriculum, assessment, instructional materials, and professional development. • STAR assesses how well schools are implementing the content standards.

3. General Purpose (continued) • Both state and federal law emphasize that all students should reach proficient or above on the state’s assessment of the adopted content standards. Statewide assessment results are used for: • Academic Performance Index (API) which measures the performance and progress of schools. • Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) which requires each state to ensure that all schools and districts are making adequate yearly progress.

4. General Purpose (continued) • Provide schools and districts information that can be used with other achievement data to make decisions about improving instructional programs. • Provide information to community members and government officials about the effectiveness of California’s education system.

5. Students To Be Tested • All students in grades two through eleven enrolled on the first day of STAR testing are required to take these tests. • Only students with written parent/guardian requests may be exempted from testing.

6. Program Components • The STAR Program has four components: • California Standards Tests (CSTs) • Early Assessment Program (EAP) • California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA) • California Modified Assessment (CMA) • Standards- based Tests in Spanish (STS)

7. The CST • The California Standards Tests (CSTs): • Are criterion-referenced tests • Are administered only in California public schools • Are discrete at each grade level/course • Are the core of the State Assessment System

8. The CAPA • California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA): • A performance-based assessment • Based on math, reading/language arts, and science content standards for California • Used to assess students with significant cognitive disabilities who are unable to take the CSTs (about 1% of the population)

9. The CMA • California Modified Assessment (CMA): • An alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards • Based on math, reading/language arts, and science content standards for California • For eligible students with disabilities (SWD) who have an individualized education program (IEP) and meet the SBE-adopted CMA eligibility criteria (about 2% of the population)

10. The STS • Standards-Based Tests in Spanish (STS): • Required for Spanish-speaking English learners (ELs) who either: • Receive instruction in their primary language; or • Have been enrolled in a school in the U.S. less than 12 months • May also be administered, at the option of the school district, to any other Spanish-speaking ELs • Not available for non-ELs in dual immersion programs

11. Test Variations (English Learners) • If used regularly in the student’s classroom, an English learner may: • Hear the test questions and ask clarifying questions in the student’s primary language • Have additional supervised breaks within the testing day • Test separately with other English learners • Have access to translation glossaries/word lists (English to primary language)

12. Accommodations • A variation in the assessment environment or process that does not fundamentally alter what the test measures or affect the comparability of scores. • Examples include extra time beyond the school day to complete the test, Braille transcriptions, etc.

13. Modifications • A modification is any variation in the assessment environment or process that fundamentally alters what the test measures or affects the comparability of scores. • Examples include using a calculator on the mathematics portion of the test and using a read-aloud on the ELA portion of the test.

14. Administration Window • School districts are to test students at 85 percent of instruction. • Testing window is 25 days—12 days before and 12 days after 85 percent of instruction has taken place.

15. Test Results • 4.7 million students participated in the 2011 STAR program • 54 percent score proficient or above in English-language arts • 50 percent score proficient or above in mathematics • The full results available on the STAR Web page at http://star.cde.ca.gov/star2011/

16. Test Results California Standards Test Results, 2003–2011 Percentage of Students Scoring at Proficient and Above

17. Program Resources • STAR Website http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/ • STAR Information and Sample Questions Website http://starsamplequestions.org/

18. Contact Information STAR Program and Assessment Transition Office (916) 445-8765 star@cde.ca.gov