Peer Review
In February 2008 the United States Department of Education presented California with options for ensuring the state’s compliance with requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act regarding the General Mathematics Test in grade eight. In response, the California Department of Education (CDE) developed a revised General Mathematics blueprint aligned to the Algebra 1 standards. In March the State Board of Education (SBE) approved the development of a revised test and a timeline for its development. The revised blueprint was presented to the SBE at the May 2008 meeting. No action was taken at that meeting or at the SBE’s June 2008 meeting. At the July 2008 meeting, the SBE decided to accept Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposal to require that the Algebra I California Standards Test be the sole test used for accountability purposes. More information is available on the CDE Algebra I Testing Requirement Web page.
North/South Information Meetings
The North/South Information Meetings are held every year in the fall. This year the North meeting will be held in Sacramento on September 16 at the Sacramento Convention Center, and the South meeting will take place in Ontario on September 23 at the Double Tree Hotel–Ontario Airport. The purpose of these meetings is to provide district, county and school administrators with overviews and updates on each of the Assessment and Accountability Branch’s programs. The meetings also give attendees an opportunity to ask questions about and obtain clarification regarding specific concerns about any of the following topics:
- California High School Exit Examination
- Standardized Testing and Reporting Program
- Early Assessment Program
- Adequate yearly progress
- Academic Performance Index
- Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives
- Categorical Program Monitoring Alignment
- Physical Fitness Testing
- Data management, including the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System
- California English Language Development Test
More information and the registration form are available on the San Joaquin County Office of Education Web page (Outside Source).
Internet Communication Packets
The Internet Communication Packets Explaining 2008 STAR Program Student Reports to Parents and Guardians and Interpreting 2008 STAR Program Test Results have been posted under “Information & Assistance” on the at CDE STAR Program Resources Web page. These packets are designed to assist school districts in the dissemination of information to parents and guardians about the STAR Program assessment results. Explaining 2008 STAR Program Student Reports to Parents and Guardians contains samples of student test reports and accompanying letters that are to be sent to each student’s home. Interpreting 2008 STAR Program Test Results explains how to interpret the scores on the student reports. It also addresses some commonly asked questions.
2008 Post-Test Guide
The 2008 Post-Test Guide: Technical Information for STAR District and Test Site Coordinators and Research Specialists (2008 Post-Test Guide) provides STAR coordinators with information about the test results contained in the STAR reports that are sent to school districts and charter schools and explains how to interpret the results. The 2008 Post-Test Guide will be posted on the Reports page of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) STAR Program Web site (Outside Source) by mid-August. The guide will also be distributed at the post-test workshops that will be held in various locations throughout the state in August and September. A post-test Webcast will be held on August 27. Visit ETS’s STAR Program Web site (Outside Source) for more information about the workshops and Webcast.
Requests for Verification of 2008 Test Scores
Parents and guardians may request the hand-scoring of their student’s 2008 STAR Program multiple-choice tests and/or the rescoring of the writing component of the Grade 4 or Grade 7 California English–Language Arts Standards Test. ETS must receive requests for hand-scoring or rescoring by October 10, 2008. Information about the process and associated fees is available in the 2008 Post-Test Guide.
Designation of District STAR Coordinator for 2008-09
The form for designating district STAR coordinators for 2008-09 was mailed in mid-June to district superintendents and administrators of charter schools that tested independently in 2007-08, followed in late June by an e-mail containing the designation form. A copy of the designation form was also sent to the 2007-08 STAR coordinators. ETS must receive the 2008-09 designation form and the 2008-09 district STAR coordinator’s STAR Security Agreement before the district coordinator will be able to access the STAR Management System for the 2008-09 school year. The final deadline for submitting the designation form for a 2008-09 STAR coordinator is Friday, September 19, 2008.
2008 STAR Results Release
The 2008 STAR Program results were released on August 14 for the California Standards Tests; California Modified Assessment; California Alternate Performance Assessment; Standards-based Tests in Spanish; and California Achievement Test, Sixth Edition Survey. The results, which will be posted on the CDE STAR Program Web page, are summarized at the school, district, county, and state levels. To protect students’ privacy, no individual student test results will be reported on this Web site.
2008 Student Data File Layout
The 2008 STAR Student Data File Layout is available on ETS’s STAR Program Web site (Outside Source). The file layout includes three records that help schools and school districts interpret the aggregated student data file at the district and school levels, including data for student identification, demographics, accommodations, modifications, English learner test variations, irregularities, and subscore data.
