1. STAR Reading

2. Purpose Periodic progress monitoring assessment Quick and accurate estimates of reading comprehension Assessment of reading relative to national norms A means for tracking growth in a consistent manner longitudinally for all students

3. STAR Reading Is not intended to be used as a “high-stakes” test. BUT It can predict performance on high-stakes tests.

4. Features Adaptive Branching Adjusts to students Shortens test time Vocabulary-in-context format Cloze procedure Nationally standardized & Normed Grade-based norms Web-based data management system

5. Frequency 2 to 5 times a year for Screening Placement Diagnostic Benchmark Outcome As often as Weekly for Progress Monitoring

6. Norms Grade Based April & May 2008 (other months interpolated) Representative Sample (pp. 33-34) Scores reported Grade Equivalent Est. ORF Instructional Reading Level (level at which student comprehends 80% of words) Percentile Rank NCE ATOS 2000 (similar to Lexile scale) ZPD (range from which to select books) Diagnostic Code (characteristics of reading stage)

7. When a test gives a grade equivalent of 6.2, it means A.The student enjoys reading at the 6 th grade level B.The student is instructional at the beginning 6 th grade level C. The student is independent at the 6 th grade level D. None of the above

8. Answer: D. None of the above A. The student enjoys reading at the 6 th grade level. B. The student is instructional at beginning 6 th grade level. C. The student is independent at the 6 th grade level.

9. GE The Single Most Misunderstood Score on STAR (and everything else).

10. GE represents the grade placement of students for whom a particular score is typical It means the student scored as well on the particular test as an average (50 th percentile) student in 6 th grade, 2 nd month scores on it. It does not necessarily mean the student can read independently at the 6.2 grade level. It may mean the 4 th grader got all items correct on the 4 th grade test and students usually do not get all items correct until 6 th grade, 2 nd month.

12. GE really means:

13. Percentile ranks are not on an equal interval scale. That is 50 th to 51 st percentile may represent only 1 scale score point difference. 70 th to 71 st percentile may represent 5 scale score points difference.

14. Percentile ranks are not on an equal interval scale. NCEs are a transformation of %ile to an equal interval scale NCE’s can be averaged %iles cannot be averaged

15. Reliability... the extent to which a test yields consistent results from test to test or administrator to administrator. STAR Split-Half......... 0.92 Generic......... 0.95 Test-Retest........ 0.91

16. Standard Error of Measure... the extent to which scores would be expected to fluctuate because of chance. Low SEM correlates with good Reliability Adaptive tests tend to have lower SEM because it is computed for each individual student, not for the entire group.

17. Standard Error of Measure

18. Validity... the degree to which a test measures what it claims to measure. STAR overall average correlation with all other reading tests is 0.72 For each individual correlation to numerous different tests of comprehension, see manual pp. 54 – 82 For correlation to DIBELS ORF, see p. 79 (0.71 to 0.87).

19. STAR Reading In the classroom

20. Goals Measurable with a Consistent measurement tool that is used Monthly or more often To Assess response to intervention

21. use Frequent Measures for Graphing Predicting later outcomes Evaluating effectiveness Decision making rules

22. Graphing Can be a strong student motivator Establish baseline, goal, and aimline Plot student scores Research supports strong student progress with monitoring, even more with graphing, and more yet with systematic decision making rules.

23. Predicting State assessment success End-of-year score

24. Evaluating Core Curriculum Instruction Interventions Response to Intervention (RTI)

25. Decision making rule If scores are below the progress line (aimline) more than 2 consecutive months, reevaluate the instructional strategy (STAR Manual, p. 100).

26. Measuring Growth Absolute growth Any and all growth that has occurred 20 WRC to 38 WRC (DIBELS) 180 RIT points to 185 points (NWEA) Scaled Score 66 to 114 (STAR)

27. Measuring Growth Relative growth Growth that is above and beyond “normal” growth. It is normal to grow from 78 to 199 scale score points on the STAR between 1 st and 2 nd grade (absolute) These scores represent 50 th percentile in 1 st and in 2 nd grade (no relative growth) Growing from 78 to 230 represents moving from 50 th to 60 th percentile (relative growth)

28. the ‘Summer Slump’ A valid phenomena on tests whose monthly expectations are interpolated from norms done only in spring months – like STAR Not a valid phenomena on tests whose norms are done early in the fall – like DIBELS

29. Criterion-referenced Describes performance relative to a set criterion or standard Continuous Scale (Percent correct) − Many classroom tests Classification (Proficient, Meets Standards, etc. − State assessments Not an equal-interval scale.

30. Norm-referenced Describes performance as a comparison to other students Percentile Ranks Grade Equivalents

31. Instructional reading level Absolute & Relative growth Percentile ranks are not equal interval scales SEM and fluctuation of scores When ‘summer slump’ has meaning