October 7, 2020
Re: Star Testing 
Dear SCSD Parent(s), Guardian(s), and Caregivers(s):

It has been a pleasure working with you as we continue to navigate new ways of teaching virtually this year. We understand virtual instruction can be challenging, but we will continue to learn and grow together. Despite the many obstacles of 2020, we persevere. While many get nervous when we hear the word “assessment,” an important part of quality instruction is assessment, whether it be delivered in person or virtually.  

Your child will soon be taking the Star assessment. Teachers will be administering this district-wide assessment throughout the month of October.  Star assessments help teachers better understand what students know and can do in the areas of early literacy, reading, or math.  As a student takes the test, the software selects items based on the student’s responses.  If the student answers correctly, the next item will be more difficult.  If the student answers incorrectly, the next item will be less difficult.  By adjusting the difficulty of the items to what students show they can or cannot do, the assessment is an accurate way to help teachers identify what skills students are ready to learn.  Teachers use this information to guide their instruction at the appropriate levels. Your child will not be receiving a grade for this assessment. 

For those taking the assessment virtually, we have highlighted some information below:

• All students will meet their teacher in Seesaw or Google Classrooms for directions prior to beginning the test.

• If you are a parent or caregiver of a student in kindergarten through 6th grade, we encourage you to be present the entire time your child is completing the exam, if you are available to do so.

• We ask that you assist any child in kindergarten through 6th grad with logging on and getting started.  It is important that they answer the question on their own so we are able to determine what instructional support they need in order to be successful in the classroom.

• Be encouraging if your child is feeling frustrated or needs to pause.  However, if your child is experiencing high levels of frustration, it is certainly appropriate to let them take a break or stop the test. Please let your child's teacher know if this occurs.

• Your child's classroom teacher will provide a support link/contact number for you should your child need assistance during the exam.

You may learn more about the assessment and how students can be supported from home by watching the Star (Renaissance) orientation video and reading the STAR parent guide below.

As always, contact us should you have any questions or concerns.  We have a team of teachers and administrators who will be sure to answer any questions you may have.  We are grateful to work with you and your child.

Sincerely,

Carmella G. Parente
Director of Educational Equity & Instructional Support

Thank you for assisting your child with completing their Star assessment(s).  Your student will need access to a computer or tablet (7 inches or larger) to take the assessment.  Students who are taking Star Early Literacy or are using the audio feature for Star Math will need headphones or speakers.

Before testing, your child’s teacher will provide you with the following:

• Renaissance link

• Student username and password

• Name of test(s) your student should take.

Please make sure your child can log on with their district username.

When teachers and parents/caregivers consistently follow the same procedures before, during, and after testing, they help ensure test results which are true representations of what the student knows.  The information in the following pages of this guide will help you prepare for and monitor your student’s testing event effectively.

Star assessments help teachers better understand what students know and can do in the areas of early literacy, reading, or math.  As a student takes the test, the software selects items based on the student’s responses.  If the student answers correctly, the next item will be more difficult.  If the student answers incorrectly, the next item will be less difficult.  By adjusting the difficulty of the items to what students show they can or cannot do, the assessment is an accurate way to help teachers identify what skills students are ready to learn.  Teachers use this information to guide their instruction.

Star Early Literacy tests are used for students in grades pre-K through 3 (beginning readers who do not yet read independently or need early literacy skills assessed).  There are 27 items, and it generally takes fewer than 15 minutes for the student to complete the test.

Star Reading tests are used for students in grades K-12.  Star reading has 34 items, and it generally takes fewer than 20 minutes for the student to complete the test.

Star Math tests are used for students in grades 1-12.  Star Math has 34 items and generally takes fewer than 25 minutes for the student to complete the test

Your job is to make sure your child does their very best without help.  Star is not a test for a grade.  It is used for teachers to know how best to instruct the student.

You may read the test instructions aloud to the student and help the student log in and select the correct assessment, but no assistance should be given once the test begins. You should not read questions or answer choices to the student or prompt the student in any other way.  If your student is having difficulty with an item, encourage them to choose the answer they think is best and click next to move on to the next question.

No materials other than headphones and paper and pencil are allowed unless accommodations are discussed with your student’s teacher.

Provide scratch paper and pencil for your student to use during testing.

Check that your computer audio is set appropriately and that you have working headphones available if needed. (Star Early Literacy is an audio-based test. Audio for Star Math can be turned on by the teacher if accommodations are needed.)

Teachers will share the introductory video with students taking Star Early Literacy the day before they take the test.

Discuss with your student the importance of doing their best in order for their teachers to know how to best help them in class.

Open an internet browser and enter the Renaissance link received from your school.

Click I’m a Student.

Enter the student’s username and password.  (If multiple students are using the same computer, verify it is the correct username and password.)  Then click Log In.

Select the appropriate tile for the test your student needs to take.

(Students may not see all of the test options.)

Verify the student’s name is correct at the top of the screen and that the correct test name is shown.

Do NOT click Start until test instructions have been read to the student and the student is completely ready to begin the test.

If the 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.  Use this only when necessary.

STOP THE TEST option will cancel the test and it will start from the beginning the next time a student start.

RESUME THE TEST LATER option will save the test and the student can resume later.  A student has eight days to resume a test at the point where they left off (the student will see a different item, however).

You may need to contact your school’s Star support team to get a code to get back into the test if you stop the test.  Your child’s teacher will provide you with the contact information for the support team