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STAR
(Updated December 22, 2011) | In 1997 the California Senate introduced a bill requiring a single standardized test for all public school children. This has become known as the STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) program. It is comprised of two components, the California Standards Tests (CST) and a nationally normed test. The goal of the STAR program is to assure that all students receive state-adopted academic content standards in English/Language Arts, Mathematics, History/Social Science, and Science. While English/Language Arts and Mathematics are tested in all grade 2-8 classrooms, History/Social Science is tested at grade 8 only. Science is tested at grade 5. Writing is assessed at grades 4 and 7 and is incorporated into the English/Language Arts score.
Sunnyvale students continue to achieve at high levels on both parts of the STAR test. Schools use this assessment information, as well as a variety of other indicators of student performance; to form a complete picture of here they need to concentrate their improvement efforts to assure academic success for all students.
Assessment is not the end. In continuously improving school systems, assessment information should be used to guide enhanced opportunities to learn for students, teachers, and for the school as a whole.
Assessment is not the sole measure of success. In continuously improving school systems, assessment information is used to guide enhanced learning opportunities for students and teachers alike.
The STAR timeline for 2011-2012 includes the following dates:
March 6 - STAR Writing for grades 4 and 7
May 7 - May 18 STAR multiple-choice testing begins
STAR results for all public schools are available on the state website:
http://star.cde.ca.gov/
| | CAPA (California Alternate Performance Assessment) CMA (California Modified Assessment) (Updated December 22, 2011)
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The California Alternative Performance Assessment (CAPA) was administered for the first time in spring 2003. The test was developed to assess students who are unable to take the STAR test because they have significant cognitive disabilities.
In April 2007, the United States Department of Education enacted regulations for an alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards. The California Department of Education, in response to the federal regulations, developed and implemented an alternate assessment of the California content standards based on modified achievement standards for children with disabilities who have an individualized education program (IEP). This assessment is the California Modified Assessment or CMA.
For more information, see the STAR website:
http://star.cde.ca.gov/
| | CELDT
(California English Language Development Test) (Updated December 22, 2011)
| English Learners are students with a primary language other than English who are limited-English proficient. In order to assure that all students receive the best possible education, the state requires testing of all students whose home language is not English to determine if they are English Learners. The test determines how well the students can speak, listen, read, and write in English.
The test chosen by the State of California for English language assessment is the California English Language Development Test (CELDT). The law requires districts to use the CELDT as a primary indicator of English proficiency for the initial identification of English Learners.
The CELDT assesses the following areas:
Listening/ Speaking (grades K-8)
Following oral directions
Phonemic awareness
Oral vocabulary
Phonemic control
Story retelling
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Reading (Grades K-8)
Word analysis
Reading vocabulary
Synonyms
Antonyms
Fluency
Reading comprehension
Literary analysis
Structures
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Writing (grades K-8)
Grammar mechanics and structural items
Writing sentences
Writing a story/essay
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Only authorized school personnel, the student and the parent/guardian see the individual CELDT results.
For state, county, district, and school results, go to:
http://celdt.cde.ca.gov
For CELDT test result interpretation guides, go to:
http://www.celdt.org/resources/im/ | | Physical Fitness Testing
(Updated December 22, 2011) |
Each spring, the state mandated, health-related, physical fitness test is administered to all students in grades 5 and 7. The following items are measured through a battery of tests:
- Aerobic capacity (timed mile run)
- Body composition (height and weight)
- Trunk Extension Strength
- Upper Body Strength (push-ups)
- Flexibility (sit and reach)
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Link to results:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/pf/
| | Academic Performance Index (API)
(Updated December 22, 2011)
| The Academic Performance Index (API) is the cornerstone of the Public Schools Accountability Act. It provides API scores on a scale ranging from 200 to 1000 as measured through the STAR test. The intention of the API is to rank the academic performance of schools, to establish growth target for each school and numerically significant ethnic and socio-economically disadvantaged groups of students within the school, and to monitor each school's progress toward meeting its targets.
The API program sets a statewide performance target of 800 for all public schools. It also assigns a 5% growth target for future improvement for schools below 800 and a minimum 1 point growth for schools above 800.
Below please find the API for 2011 for Sunnyvale Schools:
Bishop 769
Cherry Chase 966
Cumberland 942 Ellis 862
Fairwood 830
Lakewood 808
San Miguel 784 Vargas 761
Columbia Middle 719
Sunnyvale Middle 843 |
Additional information can be found at the state API website:
http://api.cde.ca.gov
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