Administration Timeline:  Test administrators are responsible for administering the assessment three times during the 2021-22 school year using the following schedule: 

•     Gr. 2-10    September 13-17, 2021
•     Gr. 2-10   January 18-21, 2022
•     Gr. 2-10    May 16-20, 2022

SACs will communicate with the site level administrators the plan for testing. All students need to be tested during the window so please plan accordingly to have time to test any students who are absent.

If administering both the STAR Reading and Math administer the math test first.  If students take STAR Reading first, they tend to not use paper and pencil for STAR Math. 

Please contact your Site Assessment Coordinator (SAC) (see chart) with any questions.

Absent Students:  Each SACs should create the protocol for students who are absent during testing to ensure a quiet and secure environment for Testing.  All students need to be tested during the window.

EL Students:  English Learners (EL) students will be administered the STAR assessments unless it is noted on their plan they are exempt.

Test Administrator Information:  Each test administrator should review and follow the administration manuals (below). Distractions should be minimized to create the best testing environment.

Test administrators should login prior to their first test administration, to familiarize themselves with their  account and the testing software.  To do this please go to the Staff Resource page:

• Class Link New Staff Portal
• Select “Renaissance Learning”
• Click Teacher/Administrator (The site has been updated.)

Test administrators should also verify their student rosters.  To do this:

• Go to the “HOME” Under your profile in the top right hand corner
• Manage Apps and Users
• Users/Students 
• Password Report
• In the upper right hand corner there is a pdf icon Choose the icon.  This will generate a pdf for you to download or view.  This will give you the student Username/Password for the students you are testing.

The average administration time for STAR Math is 20 minutes and for STAR Reading is 15 minutes.  

• It is recommended that 40 minutes be allotted for the first testing administration to allow teachers and students to become familiar with testing procedures.  

The STAR reading assessment contains 34 questions and the STAR math assessment contains 34 questions.

Extended Time Accommodation:  The STAR assessments contain a timer for each question. The warning clock will appear when  15 seconds remain for an item. A teacher should work through their SAC if they feel a student should have an accommodation of extended time.

Amount of time for questions:  2nd grade  Reading:  Questions 1-10 60 seconds, Questions 11-34 120 seconds --  3-12 Reading: Questions 1-10 45 seconds, Questions 11-34 90 seconds --  Math: 3 minutes

Audio:  The STAR Math Audio may be turned on as an accommodation for students in grades 3 and above or as a standard practice in grade 2.  To do this:

• Select your profile in the upper right corner.  Choose “Edit Preferences”
• Select “Audio” in the individual Student Preferences section of the page.

Practice Test:  The first time students take a STAR test they will be administered a practice test to complete before they begin the actual test. If students do not make it through the practice test, please consult your SAC. STAR is an adaptive test so if students have taken a test previously, the test  will start based on the student’s previous score.

Administration Manuals:  The Administration Manuals contain information about the tests along with the directions for the students.

STAR Reading Administration Manual

STAR Math Administration Manual

Preparing Students for Testing:  Inform students of the date and time when they will take the assessment.

• Ensure students understand the directions in the Test Administration Manual for taking the test.
• During testing:

• Ask students to set all personal belongings aside that may distract them during testing.
• Ensure all students login successfully and provide usernames and passwords for students who have forgotten them.

If students finish the assessment early, they should log off and read quietly while they wait patiently.  Students should not move around the room or talk as this will distract others who are still testing.

Guidelines During Testing

• Provide paper and pencil for STAR Math.  Calculators, multiplication tables and 100’s charts are not permitted during STAR Math assessment.  If a problem requires a calculator the calculator will automatically appear on the screen for the student
• In the event an interruption does occur, the impacted students will need to complete the assessment within eight (8) days.  You will need to go to the student's computer and select the “Stop Test’ button and follow the prompts.
•  In case of a fire drill, the class should just get out of the building without worrying about hitting ‘Stop Test.’

In case of technological issues during the test period, please contact Karen Martin at 4211 or kmartin@alexschools.org. 

Reports/Scores

• All users who are allowed administrative access to assessment data will immediately have access to view reports following a student completing the assessment in Renaissance.
• Scores are available for viewing in Parent Vue 2 weeks after the testing window closes.  If it is necessary to extend the testing window the scores will be available 1 week from the extended date.
  
  

Retakes:  If a teacher believes a student score is significantly outside the range of previous student data and would like to request a retake the process is as follows:

• Submit a request (via email to your SAC) with the following information:

• Test Subject (math/reading)
• School
• Student’s Full Name
• Student’s Teacher
• Grade
• Date test was taken
• Score of the test
• Student data which demonstrates the discrepancy (ie-has consistently been in the 8th percentile and was in the 30th percentile
• Rationale/reason for the retake

Once the SAC approves the retake, he/she will forward the information to Darcy Josephson (cc to Karen Martin) who will then connect with the teacher to execute the retake and delete the previous score.

Troubleshoot:  If a situation arises where a student has logged in under another student's name and completed the test, please contact your SAC.  This test needs to be deleted/invalidated, and the students should retest under the correct login.  This information should be relayed via email from your SAC to Karen Martin in Teaching and Learning with the:

• Test Subject (math/reading)
• School
• Student’s Full Name
• Student’s Teacher
• Grade
• Date student tested
  
  

If a student needs to STOP a test:  If a student needs to leave the room unexpectedly while taking a test, you can stop a test by selecting Stop Test in the upper-right corner of the screen. A prompt will ask if you want to resume the test later, stop the test, or cancel the action. A student has eight days to resume a test at the point where he or she left off (the student will see a different item, however). Keep in mind that pausing or stopping a test is a nonstandard administration; use this option only when absolutely necessary.