2008 STAR Program Assistance Packets
Two Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program Assistance Packets, designed to provide support to the field, will be posted in February on the STAR Web page:
- Understanding 2008 STAR Program Tests: Information for /School District and School Staff – This packet offers basic information for district staff to ensure effective communication with parents, guardians, and students, and it provides ways to utilize data to help monitor academic progress.
- Communicating with Parents and Guardians About 2008 STAR Program Tests: Resources for Use by School District and School Staff – This packet contains materials that may be duplicated to enhance the understanding of the STAR Program.
Released Test Questions (RTQs)
The 2007 Released Test Questions (RTQs) for the California Standards Tests (CSTs) in English-language arts, mathematics, science, and history-social science were posted in January to the STAR Program Web page. The RTQs include questions from the 2003-07 CST administrations. Additionally, the California Department of Education (CDE) Web document, the Guidelines on Academic Preparation for State Assessments (PDF; 179KB; 4pp.), provides guidance regarding appropriate preparation practices for testing.
Reporting Testing Irregularities
Testing irregularities are circumstances that may compromise the reliability and validity of test results. If more than five percent of the students tested are involved, a school’s Academic Performance Index (API) could be affected. A test administration incident is any situation that occurs before, during, or after test administrations that does not conform to the instructions stated in either the Directions for Administration or in the STAR District and Test Site Coordinator Manuals. Test administration incidents generally do not affect test results.
The 2008 STAR District and Test Site Coordinator Manual provides specific information about test irregularities and administration errors. Appendix C, in the 2008 STAR District and Test Site Coordinator Manual, includes forms (Exhibits A-4 and A-5) to assist the coordinator in the event a report needs to be submitted.
If an incident of inappropriate test preparation or a testing irregularity is reported to the district STAR coordinator, the coordinator should notify the CDE. The STAR Program Irregularity Report Form should be either e-mailed to starirreg@cde.ca.gov or faxed to 916-319-0969. Test administration errors are handled at the school district level and need not be reported to the CDE. The STAR Program Test Administration Incident Report Form should be used to document test administration errors.
Golden State Seal Merit Diploma
In April 2004, the State Board of Education (SBE) designated Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program’s California Standards Test (CST) results to be used to qualify eligible pupils for the Golden State Seal Merit Diploma. The seal provides recognition to public school graduates who have demonstrated mastery in designated areas of the high school curriculum. Beginning in 2008, the insignia provided by the CDE will be one inch in diameter. If districts wish to request the previous larger size (one and one-half inches in diameter), they will need to indicate this on the Insignia Request Form. Requests for the larger size insignia will be filled only while supplies last.
Requirements for insignias for eligible 2008 seniors should be submitted as soon as the students are identified. Although there is no deadline for submitting request forms, districts should order insignias far enough in advance to allow time for the CDE to process the request and for district staff to place the insignias on the diplomas. Districts should receive insignias within two weeks from the date that the CDE received the request. The CDE will begin mailing requested insignias the first week of April.
Eligibility criteria, forms, and information about the seal are available on the STAR Merit Diploma Web page.
STAR Management System Modules and Manuals
The six STAR 2008 Management System modules and manuals (Pre-ID, Extended Data Corrections, Order Management, Test Administration Setup, CAPA Online, and Demographic Data Correction) for the CSTs, California Modified Assessments (CMA), California Alternate Performance Assessments (CAPA), and Standards-based Tests in Spanish (STS) are available on the ETS STAR Web site (Outside Source). All districts and charter schools testing independently from their authorizing agencies should have already set up their STAR administration periods and ordered test materials for spring 2008. District Pre-ID deadlines are available in the STAR Management System.To obtain the deadlines, please click the Test Administration Summary link located in the Test Administration section found on the left navigation bar.
Teacher Guides for the 2007 Writing Standards Test
The teacher guides for the 2007 California Writing Standards Tests (CSTs in writing) in grades four and seven have been posted and are available on the STAR Program Resources Web page under the heading “4th and 7th Grade Writing Test.”
These guides contain questions and answers about the CSTs in writing, the scoring rubrics, and responses illustrating student writing at each score point. Teachers’ commentaries are included to explain why each student’s response received the score it did and how the holistic score relates to the criteria on the scoring rubric.
More Information
For more information, check the ETS STAR Web site (Outside Source) for updates on test administration set-up, ordering materials, pre-ID, and upcoming workshops and Webcasts.
