Star Assessments are short tests that provide teachers with learning data. Star tests are computer adaptive, which means they adjust to each answer your child provides. 

When will my child take the Star Assessments?

Our district gives the STAR Reading and the Star Math Assessments three times each year (fall, winter, and spring). For 2020-21, students will take the assessments in September, January, and May.

How do I know how my child performed on the Star Assessments?

The school sends home the Star Diagnostic Reports twice per year (fall and winter). At progress reports in late September, the Star Math and Star Reading Diagnostic reports are sent home. They show whether your child is meeting the readiness benchmarks and provide other valuable information.  See the Star Math Diagnostic Report Sample and the Star Reading Diagnostic Report Sample and locate the following pieces of information:

Percentile Rank (PR) is a norm-referenced score that provides a measure of a student’s reading ability compared to other students in the same grade nationally. For example, a student with a percentile rank score of 85 performed as well as or better than 85 percent of other students in the same grade.  

Scaled Score (SS) is useful for comparing student performance over time and across grades. Star Reading scaled scores range from 0 to 1400. 

Instructional Reading Level (IRL) is the highest reading level at which a student is 80% proficient (or higher) at comprehending material with assistance.

What do teachers do with Star Assessments?

Teachers analyze the data they get from Star Assessments to learn what students already know and what they are ready to learn next, to monitor student growth, and to determine which students may need additional help.

How can I help my child with their Star Assessments?

The best way to help your child with Star Assessments is to help them understand why they are taking the test: So their teacher knows exactly how to help them learn! For anxious children, it may be important to tell them that they cannot fail a Star test—as long as they do their best, the data generated from the test will help their teacher teach them more great things!

Where can I find answers to more questions about my child's Star Scores?

Ask your child’s teacher. The teacher is the best source of additional information about your child’s progress with Star Assessments and overall learning progress.

Watch this quick overview of the purpose of Star Assessments: