2003 Standardized Testing and Reporting Program

Reporting 2003 STAR Results to Parents/Guardians
California Department of Education - August 2003 - Standards and Assessment Division

Questions and Answers for Parents/Guardians

What is the STAR Program?

One part of the state testing system is the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program. This program, administered annually, was authorized in 1997 by state law (Senate Bill 376). The purpose of the STAR Program is to help measure how well students are learning required academic skills.

Who must take the STAR tests?

All students in grades 2 through 11 must take the designated STAR tests. Students learning English and students in special education programs are included. Only students with written parent/guardian requests to exempt them do not take the STAR tests.

What tests did the students take in spring 2003?

The STAR Program has four components:

• California Standards Tests (CSTs) produced for California public schools

  California Achievement Tests, Sixth Edition Survey (CAT/6), published by CTB/McGraw-Hill

  California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA), an assessment produced for students with significant cognitive disabilities, who are not able to take the CSTs or the CAT/6

• Spanish Assessment of Basic Education, Second Edition (SABE/2), an achievement test in Spanish published by CTB/McGraw-Hill

What are the CSTs?

The CSTs are developed specifically for California public schools. These tests are aligned to state-adopted academic content standards in reading, writing, mathematics, history social science, and science.

Who took the CSTs?

Students in grades 2 through 11 took the California Standards English-Language Arts Tests (reading and writing).  Students in grades 2 through 7 took the California Mathematics Standards Tests. Students who took the grade 4 or 7 tests also wrote an essay in response to a writing task. All students in grades 8, 10, and 11 also took California History-Social Science Standards Tests. These standards tests are tied to what students should know and be able to do at each grade level tested.  All students in grades 8 through 11 took CSTs in mathematics that are not tied to specific grade levels. The tests were tied to the mathematics course in which a student was enrolled or that a student had completed. Students in grades 9 through 11 took the High School Summative Mathematics Standards Test if they had completed algebra II or third-year integrated mathematics or an equivalent or higher mathematics course before testing began. Students who were taking a standards-based science course in grades 9, 10, and 11 took California Science Standards Tests tied to specific courses rather than grade levels. Students in grade 5 took a short science field test to try out questions to be used on a test to be given in 2004.

What are the mathematics courses for which there are CSTs?

Mathematics courses for which there are CSTs include algebra I, geometry, algebra II, and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year integrated mathematics.

What if students in grades 8 and 9 were not enrolled in one of the specified mathematics courses?

Students in grades 8 and 9, who were not enrolled in or had not completed one of the specified courses during the school year, took the General Mathematics Test that assesses the mathematics standards for grades 6 and 7.

What if students in grades 10 and 11 were not enrolled in one of the specified mathematics courses?

Students, who had previously completed algebra II or third year integrated mathematics or an equivalent or higher mathematics course, took the High School Summative Mathematics Test. Students who had not completed algebra II, third-year integrated mathematics, or an equivalent course did not take a CST test in mathematics.

What are the science courses for which there are California Standards Tests?

Science courses for which there are standards tests include:
earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, and integrated/ coordinated science (four tests available).

What if a student in grade 9, 10, or 11 was not enrolled in or did not complete one of the specified science courses during the school year?

Students at these grades, who were not enrolled in or had not completed one of the specified science courses during the school year, did not take a science standards test. These students took the science portion of the CAT/6 and received results for that part of the STAR Program.

Who took the CAT/6?

Students in grades 2 through 11 took the CAT/6 in reading, language, and mathematics. In addition, students in grades 2 through 8 were tested in spelling. Students in grades 9 through 11 also were tested in science.

What is the CAPA?

The CAPA is a performance assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities. These are students who receive special education services. CAPA was administered for the first time in 2003. It was added to ensure that all California students could participate in the STAR Program.

Who determined if a student would take the CAPA?

The team that developed the Individualized Education Program (IEP) for each student receiving special education services determined how the student was to participate in the STAR Program. The IEP team could specify that the student was to take the CSTs and CAT/6 with no accommodations, take the tests with accommodations or modifications, or take the CAPA.

Who took the SABE/2?

In addition to taking the designated STAR tests in English, Spanish-speaking English learners who had been enrolled in California public schools less than 12 months took the SABE/2. This part of the STAR Program was optional if the students had been enrolled in California public schools 12 months or more.

What does the SABE/2 test cover?

Students who took the SABE/2 were tested in reading, language, mathematics, and spelling in grades 2 through 11.  Students in grades 2 and 3 also were tested in word analysis.

Who gave the STAR tests, and how long did it take?

Teachers who received special training gave the STAR tests at the local school. It took seven to eight hours to complete the CSTs and the CAT/6, depending on the grade level. The SABE/2 added about four hours for limited English learners.  STAR testing is spread over several days. CAPA examiners were certificated or licensed school staff members, who were the students’ teachers in most cases.

How were the questions on the tests asked?

All of the test questions on the CSTs, CAT/6, and SABE/2 were in a multiple-choice format, except for the writing tasks for grades 4 and 7. The multiple-choice questions required students to select the correct answer from four or five possible answers.The CAPA was administered individually. The examiner cued the student to respond to an item or perform a task, then observed the performance and recorded the response according to a specific scoring rubric.

Questions on the CAT/6 and SABE/2 tests had been tried out with thousands of students throughout the United States to see if they were appropriate for the grade level and content being tested. Multiple-choice questions and the new writing tasks for the CSTs and the CAPA tasks had been tried out with students throughout California.

What was done to help students with special needs?

Most students with special needs took the tests with all other students under standard conditions. Certain accommodations, such as additional time, Braille, or large-print tests, were provided for those special education students who needed this assistance. Accommodations also included revised test directions or the use of paraprofessionals (aides) and/or aids to provide additional help. Accommodations/modifications had to be specified in a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan. Those accommodations/modifications were to match the ones students receive for class work throughout the year. Students who were unable to take the CSTs and the CAT/6 with accommodations or modifications took the CAPA.

Students in grades 5 through 11 who were not receiving grade level instruction may have been tested one or two years below their grade levels, if this was specified in their IEPs or 504 plans.

What was done to help English learners on the CSTs and CAT/6?

English learners, who had been enrolled in California public schools less than 12 months, could use special accommodations for the CSTs and the CAT/6 if the local board had adopted a policy used by all schools in the district to identify students eligible for accommodations. These accommodations could include using a bilingual dictionary and having teachers translate the test directions.

What if a student was absent on testing days or missed one part of the required tests?

Schools were to provide at least two test makeup dates.

Can parents/guardians see the STAR tests?

No. The test questions can be seen only by students when they take the tests. This security measure ensures that the tests are fair for all students and that test questions can be used for more than one year. The law requiring STAR testing does allow local school boards to see the tests under secure conditions.

What if parents/guardians did not want their student tested?

According to Education Code Section 60615, parents/guardians could submit a written request to the principal of their student’s school if they did not wish to have their student take any or all parts of the STAR tests. Written requests from parents/guardians were to be honored.

Reporting Student Results

Who sees the test results for individual students?

Students, their teachers, and parents/guardians see the individual student results. Individual student results are confidential. Copies are kept in the student’s permanent school records with other confidential data.

How and when do parents/guardians get their student’s test results?

Each student’s test results must be distributed to parents/guardians within 20 working days after the school district receives the results. In most cases these reports are mailed.  Results for the CSTs and CAT/6 are on one report. Results for the CAPA and the SABE/2 are reported separately. In addition to the individual reports, group results by grade level for each school, district, county, and the state will be posted on the Internet on August 15, 2003.

How are individual test results for STAR 2003 reported for students?

The overall results for the 2003 CSTs and the CAPA include the scaled score and the performance level achieved for each subject area tested. There are five performance levels students can achieve: advanced, proficient, basic, below basic, and far below basic. The levels indicate how well students met state academic content standards for each subject area tested. The goal is to have all students performing at proficient and advanced levels.The writing samples in grades 4 and 7 received separate scores that were combined with scores for the multiple-choice questions for writing to determine the performance levels for English-language arts. In addition, the score for each student’s writing sample is reported separately under Specific Results for Writing Applications.

The CAT/6 results are reported as percent correct and national percentiles. A national percentile compares the student’s results with scores of a national sample of students in the same grade who were tested at the same time of the school year. SABE/2 results are reported as reference group percentiles.

What is a scaled score?

The results of the CSTs and the CAPA are reported in terms of a numerical scale. This scaled score shows whether one score is above or below another and how close the scores are to each other. The scaled score a student attains on each test determines the performance level that will be assigned for the test. Scaled scores for the CSTs have a range of 150 to 600.  The state target is to have every student score 350 or higher. Scaled scores for the CAPA have a range of 15 to 60, with a target of 35 or higher.

What is the California Reading List Number?

The California Reading Lists include books from the state’s Recommended Literature List, Kindergarten Through Grade 12.  A California Reading List Number, ranging from 1 to 13+, links the difficulty of the CAT/6 Reading Test with the difficulty level of the books. Each student’s California Reading List Number is printed near the lower left-hand corner on page 2 of the STAR Performance Report.

How is the California Reading List Number used?

Students, parents/guardians, and teachers may use the reading list numbers to obtain lists of books that students should be able to read and enjoy. The reading lists are available by going to http://star.cde.ca.gov on the Internet and clicking on California Reading List. A page of information about the reading lists is then displayed. After reading the information, there are directions to move to the reading list page, where the student’s grade level and reading list number must be entered to display and print the reading list.

Students or parents/guardians should look at the California Reading List as a place to begin a book search. Some students may need books from a lower reading list and some from a higher list. A student’s motivation to read a book is a critical element in selecting books.

Can the test results be compared from year to year?

General comparisons may be made from one grade to the next for the CSTs. For example, if a student scored at proficient in one grade, you generally would expect the student to score at the same or a higher level in the following grade. However, the tests are designed to assess the student’s attainment of the academic standards specified for the grade level. Since the academic standards change from grade to grade, it is important to remember that the difficulty level and the content of the tests also change from grade to grade.

No direct comparisons should be made between a student’s Stanford 9 and CAT/6 scores. The CAT/6 was developed by a different publisher more than six years later than the Stanford 9, and the test has a different structure, content emphasis, and difficulty level than the Stanford 9.

What about STAR reports for students with special needs?

Reports for students with special needs include a notation about the test administration:

• Student used accommodations, or

• Student was tested with modifications

Accommodations are changes in the test administration that do not change what is tested. For example, students may use extra time to complete a test, or they may have additional breaks during a test, etc. Modifications change what is tested.  For example, the reading test may be read to the student.  The specific modifications used will be noted on the reports. 

If a student is tested below grade level, the report shows the grade level of the test taken.

What about STAR reports for English learners?

If accommodations were used, STAR reports for English learners include the notation that the student was tested with accommodations.

Using STAR Results

How are the STAR results used?

Teachers, parents/guardians, and students use individual STAR results to help monitor each student’s academic progress. Individual student results are merged to prepare grade-level reports by subject for each school, district, county, and the state. The results are used with other information about student achievement to help make decisions about ways to improve student learning and school programs.CST and CAT/6 results also are used to calculate each school’s Academic Performance Index (API). The API, a major component of the state’s accountability program, is used to rank the academic performance of schools, set targets for growth, and monitor progress over time. CAPA scores will be included in the 2003 Base API.

The California English-Language Arts and Mathematics Standards Tests and CAPA results for grades 3 through 8 also are used to determine if schools and districts are meeting new Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) targets. Federal law specifies that all students in grades 3 through 8 are to score proficient or above on the state’s English-Language Arts and Mathematics Standards Tests by 2014. The state is required to set annual targets that specify the minimum percentage of students who must score proficient or above for each school or district. The CAPA results are used with results from the California High School Exit Exam in grade 10 to set AYP targets for high schools and to determine if the targets are being met.

Can results from the STAR tests be used to determine if a student should be retained?

A district may use these results with other information about student achievement to make decisions about student retention. Test scores by themselves should never be used to make a promotion/retention decision.

Can the CST and CAT/6 scores be put into student transcripts?

Yes, but parents/guardians must approve the release of transcripts that include these scores. If parents/guardians do not want the scores included, the school must provide transcripts without the scores.

Are there any rewards for students who do well on the STAR tests?

The Governor’s Scholars Program has awarded $1,000 scholarships to students in grades 9, 10, and 11 whose California Standards English-Language Arts and Mathematics Test scores are among the top 5 percent of statewide scores or the top 10 percent of scores in their junior high (grade 9) or comprehensive senior high school. Funding for this program is tied to the state’s financial condition and budget. Currently, there are no funds available for awards for the 2003 tests. If funding becomes available, students will need scores for California English-Language Arts and Mathematics Standards Tests and the CAT/6 Reading and Mathematics Tests to be considered for an award. The students must have taken a California Mathematics Standards Test for algebra I or higher. Students in grade 9 who took the General Mathematics Test will not be eligible to compete for an award.

If funding becomes available, students who qualify for awards will be notified by letter in February 2004.

Helping Students Succeed

How can parents/guardians find out if their students’ courses are aligned to state content standards?

Parents/guardians should ask their students’ teachers or principal if and/or how the school curriculum is aligned to state content standards in English-language arts (reading and writing), mathematics, science, and history-social science.  State-adopted content standards are available at http://www.cde.ca.gov/standards on the Internet.

How can parents/guardians help their students do better on STAR?

Prior to testing each year, parents/guardians need to talk to their students about the STAR test(s) and encourage them to do their best. Parents/guardians should:

• Listen to elementary students read every day and review what they are doing in school.

  Make sure class assignments and homework are completed throughout the year.

• Ensure that students are in school every day unless they are ill.

Parents/guardians can help prepare students for testing day by making sure they have plenty of rest and a good breakfast.  Schools have information about ways families can help their students improve in specific academic areas. 

Parents/guardians are encouraged to review the STAR results with their student. If there are discrepancies between the test scores and the work the student generally does and the grades he/she receives, parents/guardians should discuss these discrepancies with the child.

How can parents/guardians help the school improve student achievement?

Schools invite parents/guardians and other community members to become actively involved in improving student learning. Every school has various committees of parents/guardians who assist in school decision-making, including the Parent Teacher Association or organization and school site councils. In addition, individual teachers are frequently in search of volunteers to help with classroom instruction.  Research studies show that parent/guardian and community involvement in the school can improve academic achievement.

How can parents/guardians get their questions about STAR, their student’s results, or the API or AYP answered?

Parents/guardians should begin with their students’ teachers.  Additional information may be available through the school principal or counselor. Questions about the STAR Program also can be directed to the STAR test coordinator at the school district office.

STAR Tests Students Took in 2003

* Students must also take the California Standards Tests and the CAT/6 in English

Section II California Standards Tests

Parent/Guardian Guide to the 2003 California Standards Tests

The California Standards Tests (CSTs) are given to public school students in grades 2 through 11 as part of the state’s Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program. Enacted into law in 1997, the STAR Program currently has three components in addition to the California Standards Tests: the California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA), the California Achievement Tests, Sixth Edition Survey (CAT/6), and the Spanish Assessment of Basic Education, Second Edition (SABE/2).

A Test for California Schools

• The CSTs and the CAPA, developed specifically for California public schools, are aligned to state adopted academic content standards that describe what students should know and be able to do in each grade and subject tested.

• The CSTs in English-language arts and mathematics for grades 2 through 11 became part of the STAR Program in 1999. The CSTs in history social science and science for selected grades were added in 2001. Writing tests for grades 4 and 7, requiring students to write an essay in response to an assigned task, also were added in 2001. The CAPA was added in 2003.

Test Content and Format

• CSTs in English-language arts in grades 2 through 11; in mathematics in grades 2 through 7; and in history-social science in grades 8, 10, and 11 are tied to specific grade levels.

  All students in grades 8 and 9 not enrolled in a standards-based math course, take the California General Mathematics Test that is based on the academic standards for grades 6 and 7. The mathematics standards tests in grades 8 through 11 are tied to specific math courses. A High School Summative Mathematics Standards Test is given to students in grades 9 through 11 who completed algebra II or third-year integrated math or an equivalent or higher math course at any time before testing began.

  Students in grades 9, 10, and 11 may take science standards tests that also are tied to specific courses rather than grade levels. Only students completing a standards-based science course take a CST.

  Questions for all CSTs, except for the writing tests in grades 4 and 7, are in a multiple-choice format.

  Student responses to the writing tasks are scored using 4-point scoring guides that are aligned to state-adopted standards for writing strategies, applications, and conventions.

• Students with significant cognitive disabilities in grades 2 through 11 take the CAPA. This assessment includes tasks aligned to a subset of the California Academic Content Standards in English-language arts and mathematics that reflect important life skills. CAPA is administered individually by certificated or licensed school staff members who were the students’ teachers in most cases.

Performance Level Reporting

• The California Standards Tests are criterion referenced tests. Results are based on how well students achieve identified state-adopted academic content standards, not how student results compare with results of other students taking the same tests.

  The State Board of Education (SBE) approved five performance levels for reporting results of the CSTs and the CAPA. The performance levels designated are advanced, proficient, basic, below basic, and far below basic.

• Initial recommendations came from Performance Level Setting Panels for each content area. The SBE also scheduled regional hearings to receive public input before final performance levels were adopted.

Reporting 2003 Results

• Individual student and group results of the 2003 administration of the CSTs and the CAPA are reported using the five performance levels adopted by the SBE.

  Performance levels establish the points at which students have demonstrated sufficient knowledge and skills to be regarded as performing at a particular achievement level.

  The SBE set the minimum scaled score target of "350" as proficient for all California students for the CSTs.