STAR Reading, STAR Early Literacy and STAR Math are

standardized Standardization or standardisation is the process of implementing and developing technical standards based on the consensus of different parties that include firms, users, interest groups, standards organizations and governments. Standardization ...

, computer-adaptive assessments created by

Renaissance Learning Renaissance Learning, Inc. (also known simply as Renaissance) is a software as a service and learning analytics company that makes cloud-based, Pre-K–12 educational software and adaptive assessments. Renaissance employs about 1,000 employees in n ...

, Inc., for use in K–12 education. Each is a " Tier 2" assessment of a skill (reading practice, math practice, and early literacy, respectively that can be used any number of times due to item-bank technology. These assessments fall somewhere between progress monitoring tools (" Tier 1") and

high-stakes test A high-stakes test is a test with important consequences for the test taker. Passing has important benefits, such as a high school diploma, a scholarship, or a license to practice a profession. Failing has important disadvantages, such as being ...

Original meaning

The acronym STAR, which used to stand for "Standardized Test for the Assessment of Reading" no longer carries this meaning. The company has expanded STAR assessments to cover skills in various domains apart from reading. Initially known as "STAR", the first assessment was STAR Reading. Since the creation of STAR Math, the original STAR has been renamed to STAR Reading. Confusion may also arise with California's STAR (

Standardized Testing and Reporting The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), known until February 2014 as the Measurement of Academic Performance and Progress (MAPP), measures the performance of students undergoing primary and secondary education in Cali ...

) or the Supplementary Tests of Achievement in Reading published by the

New Zealand Council for Educational Research The New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) is an independent, educational research organisation that provides educators, students, parents, policy makers, and the public with innovative and independent research, analysis, and advice ...

, but these are completely different assessments.

Purpose

The purpose of the STAR assessments is to provide information to teachers about student growth and student achievement in grade 1–12. The assessments is taken by students and it is scored automatically by the software. In order to monitor students' progress, teachers and administrators are allowed to view and print a number of reports at the individual, classroom, and grade level and then give instructions to individuals and to high-stakes testing requirements.

STAR assessments

Each assessment provides estimates of students' skills and comparisons of students' abilities to national norms. Each is intended to aid with developing curriculum and instruction by providing feedback about student, classroom, and grade level progress. The software reports grade equivalents, percentile ranks, and

normal curve equivalent In educational statistics, a normal curve equivalent (NCE), developed for the United States Department of Education by the RMC Research Corporation,Mertler, C. A. (2002). ''Using standardized test data to guide instruction and intervention.'' Coll ...

s. Each assessment is standardized and highly correlated to other assessments. Thus, the results predict achievement on other standardized tests. For more on the reliability and validity of these assessments, see below. All STAR products were available as stand-alone and network software, but now the company strongly advertises the web-based Renaissance Place version.

STAR Reading

The purpose of STAR Reading is to assess students' reading skills. The assessment provides an approximate measure of each students' reading level. The company claims that students can complete the assessment in less than 10 minutes.

STAR Early Literacy

The purpose of STAR Early Literacy is to assess students' early literacy skills in preparation for reading. SEL identifies student reading levels (e.g. Emergent Reader) and provides student performance results for pre-K through third grade students. The company claims that students can complete the assessment in less than 10 minutes.

STAR Math

The purpose of STAR Math is to assess students' mathematics skills. The assessment provides an approximate measure of each students' math level. The company claims that students can complete the assessment in less than 12 minutes.

STAR Spanish

The purpose of STAR Spanish is to assess students' Spanish skills. The assessment consists of reading comprehension for independent readers from grade levels 1–5. However, it can be administered to Spanish speaking students at grade levels 1–12. STAR Spanish tracks students' Spanish reading level, ZPD for independent reading practice of Spanish literature, Spanish reading growth and overall progress.

Reliability and validity

The reliability of an assessment is the extent to which scores from the assessment will remain the same between two administrations within a short period. The validity of an assessment is the extent to which the assessment measures what it claims to measure. Many other studies have demonstrated the reliability and validity of STAR Reading,STAR Reading Reliability
report - PDF file STAR Math,STAR Math Reliability
report - PDF file and STAR Early Literacy.STAR Early Literacy Reliability
report - PDF file Additionally, many studies have differentiated between STAR assessments and other tests of similar skills.Research
on STAR assessments As with any assessment or test, student scores ''will'' vary each time the assessment or test is administered. This concept is called the statistical

error An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'. In statistic ...

of a measurement. External agencies, like the National Center on Student Progress Monitoring (NCSPM), have assessed the STAR products and found them to be technically sound.NCSPM chart
comparing eight "Progress Monitoring Tools" Additionally, the

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions— north, east, south, and west—eac ...

(SEDL) has categorized STAR Reading and STAR Early Literacy as criterion-referenced and norm-referenced assessments.Comparison chart
published by the

, listing a variety of reading assessment tests, the grades they are applicable for, and the cognitive elements that they evaluate. In this latter case, the STAR Early Literacy package is said to evaluate eight cognitive elements. STAR Early Literacy was mentioned in the 2006 Readers' Choice Awards: Best Reading Software, a survey by e-School News.Archived copy

Criticism

The

Illinois State Board of Education The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) administers public education in the state of Illinois. The State Board consists of nine members who are appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Senate. Board members serve four-year terms, with ...

(ISBE) stated in a Summer 2005 letter that it would no longer accept STAR Reading scores for measuring reading "performance progress" for the Reading Improvement Block Grant. However, STAR reading was still permitted for instructional decision-making.Newsletter published by
the

in July/August 2005, disallowing future use of STAR Reading towards Illinois educational grant programs. PDF file. Since the ISBE issued this letter in 2005, they have updated its database and ISBE has now re-categorized STAR Reading as an assessment of reading comprehension.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.renlearn.com/ Software for children Renaissance Learning software Standardized tests