Setting up your Account for 2016-2017
Why STAR?
Administering STAR
STAR Scores
STAR Reports
100
I need to add/change/delete student and teacher users. Where do I make those changes?
SchoolSpeak - login at http://adla.schoolspeak.com
100
What is the primary purpose of the STAR Assessments?
To provide schools, parents, and students with data and resources to support student learning
100
Which assessment uses headphones?
STAR Early Literacy always uses headphones. STAR Math is possible to use headphones if a student has a low reading fluency. STAR Reading never uses headphones.
100
What is the foundational score in STAR from which every other score is determined?
Scaled Score (SS) – SS corresponds to a learning progression that indicates which skills a student has likely mastered and which skills a student is ready to learn next. It is also used to determine all of the other scores (i.e., PR, SGP, etc.).
100
What does the ADLA benchmark represent on the Screening Report?
The ADLA Benchmark (65 PR) represents whether a student is on track for HS and college readiness or whether he/she may need additional supports.
200
What is the purpose of the monitor password?
The monitor password is used to verify that the correct student is logged on before taking a test. It is also required to stop or resume a test.
200
What are the 3 STAR Assessments?
STAR Early Literacy, STAR Reading, STAR Math
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How much time does a STAR Assessment typically take?
15-20 minutes However, students have up to 43.5 min in Reading and 102 minutes in Math. It is helpful to keep these time amounts in mind when developing your testing schedule.
200
Who are students being compared to for Percentile Rank (PR)?
Other students nationally in the same grade. These students are part of the norming group, a representative sample of the students in the nation who are taking the assessment.
200
On the Parent Report, what does PR Range indicate?
Percentile Rank (PR) Range indicates that if a student had taken this assessment multiple times at this time of year, most of his/her scores would likely have fallen in this range.
300
Should the monitor password be given out to students?
No. The monitor password ensures testing fidelity by allowing a teacher or other test facilitator to verify that the right student is taking a test during a specified time.
300
A limitation of our former assessment was that it took 3-4 weeks to receive scores. How does STAR address this issue?
STAR provides immediate access to results.
300
What grades should take each assessment during the first testing window this year?
TK-3 should take STAR Early Literacy (even if they tested above 850 last year). Grades 2-8 should take STAR Reading and Math. Grades K and 1 can attempt the Reading/Math if they have more than 100 sight words and the teachers have a plan for using the data.
300
Which score measures growth?
Student Growth Percentile (SGP) – SGP compares growth to academic peers nationally (students in the same grade with a similar score on the first assessment).
300
What information is provided on the Diagnostic Report that is not available on the Screening (or Parent) Report?
The Diagnostic Report also includes Domain Scores. These scores estimate the percent of grade-level skills a student has likely mastered within each domain.
400
When you log into Renaissance Place, which section do you go to in order to assign tests to classes?
Courses and Classes
400
A limitation of our former assessment was that it took 2 weeks to administer. As a result, it was only given once/year. How does STAR address this issue?
On average, STAR Assessments only take 20 minutes to administer. As a result, they can be given multiple times during the year.
400
How is the difficulty level of the first question on the assessment determined?
If students have taken an assessment within the last 180 days, the first question will be at the level that they left off last time. If students have never taken an assessment, the first question will be an easier question for their grade level.
400
Which score does Renaissance recommend not using.
Grade Equivalent (GE) - This score is frequently misinterpreted.
400
What information is provided on the Instructional Planning Report that is not available on the Screening (or Parent) Report?
The Instructional Planning report includes 2 additional components: Projected Benchmark and Suggested Skills. The Projected Benchmark indicates the Benchmark category that the student is likely to reach by the end of the year. The Suggested Skills provide a list of skills that a student is ready to learn next. The symbol >> indicates a focus skill that is critical to that grade-level.
500
Which link should be bookmarked on all devices?
http://archla.org/star (This link should now be used for iPads as well. The app is no longer available.)
500
How many scientific research studies have supported the reliability and validity of the STAR Assessments?
93 - The studies can be accessed at http://www.renaissance.com/resources/research/.
500
What is the purpose of the first testing window?
The first window is a diagnostic assessment that is intended to establish a baseline for each student. If students took the assessment in previous years, it is also possible to use this score to determine the effect of summer vacation.
500
Which of the following scores are norm-referenced: Scaled Score (SS), Percentile Rank (PR), Student Growth Percentile (SGP)?
PR and SGP - Norm-referenced scores compare each student to the achievement of others in broad content areas. Criterion-referenced scores determine whether each student has mastered specific skills (standards).
500
Why do we have 4 testing windows?
Students need to take at least 3 assessments before they can receive a trend line to most accurately predict performance by the end of the year.
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