STAAR 101 Presented By: Student Assessment Department Studying the STAARs

Title Text Overview of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR)

STAAR Basics STAAR provides a more clearly articulated assessment program Focuses on fewer skills Addresses those skills in a deeper manner Every question that appears on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) is grounded in the knowledge and skills statements and student expectations within the state-mandated curriculum, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Please note that every year the STAAR tests may represent varying combinations of TEKS student expectations. More Rigorous- All questions on STAAR match the cognitive complexity level of the TEKS The questions are more complex and require more thinking than TAKS The most important concepts for a student to learn in a grade level (readiness standards) will have more questions on the test STAAR assessments in math and reading will be linked from grade to grade, as well as to postsecondary-readiness standards for the Algebra II and English III assessments

Versions of STAAR Includes these programs: –STAAR –STAAR Spanish –STAAR L –STAAR Modified –STAAR Alternate 4 Only for ELL students Only for students receiving special education services The general STAAR is available to all General Ed, Special Ed, 504 and ELL students.

STAAR Assessments What subjects and grades are assessed on STAAR? Grades 3-8 ReadingGr. 3-8 MathGr. 3-8 WritingGr. 4 & 7 ScienceGr. 5 & 8 Soc. StudiesGr. 8 High School End-of -Courses MathEnglishScienceSocial Studies Algebra IEnglish I - Writing English I - Reading BiologyWorld Geography GeometryEnglish II - Writing English II - Reading ChemistryWorld History Algebra IIEnglish III - Writing English III - Reading PhysicsU.S. History

Readiness vs. Supporting Standards Readiness Standards Are essential for success in the current grade or course Are important for preparedness for the next grade or course Support college and career readiness Necessitate in-depth instruction Address broad and deep concepts, skills and ideas By focusing on the student expectations that are most critical to assess, STAAR better measures the academic performance of students as they progress from elementary to middle to high school. Supporting Standards May be introduced in the current grade or course and emphasized in a subsequent year May be emphasized in a previous year and reinforced in the current grade or course May play a role in preparing students for the next grade or course but not a central role May address more narrowly defined ideas

STAAR Design Readiness Standards –Encompass 30-40% of the eligible TEKS –Make up 60-65% of the assessment –2-4 questions per standard Supporting Standards –Encompass 60-70% of the eligible TEKS –Make up 35%-40% of the assessment –0-1 question per standard

Readiness vs. Supporting Standards

Where Do I Find the Assessed Curriculum? Readiness and Supporting Standards are identified in the assessed curriculum documents. Posted on the TEA Student Assessment Website at Assessed Curriculum Identifies under each Reporting Category which TEKS are Readiness and Supporting Blueprints Identifies the design of each assessment. Blueprints categorize the number of Reporting Categories, the total number of questions and Readiness and Supporting Standards under a given Reporting Category

Example Blueprint STAAR Grade 5 Science Blueprint

College and Career Readiness College readiness means the level of preparation a student must attain in English language arts and mathematics courses to enroll and succeed, without remediation, in an entry-level general education course for credit in that same content area for a baccalaureate degree or associate degree program (House Bill 3, Section a) College and career readiness begins in Kindergarten Elementary, middle and intermediate school teachers prepare students for college and careers by: –Providing rigorous instruction –Ensuring that students are reading on grade level and are prepared for the next grade level Elementary school educators consider the Readiness Standards for middle school Middle and Intermediate school educators consider the Readiness Standards for high school –Ensuring that students can use critical thinking skills High school educators consider the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) The CCRS are designed to represent a full range of knowledge and skills that students need to succeed in entry-level college courses, as well as in a wide array of majors and careers.

Process Skills STAAR is a more clearly articulated assessment program that focuses on fewer skills and addresses those skills in a deeper manner. Process skills in social studies, science and mathematics are assessed within context, not isolation, which allows for a more integrated and authentic assessment of these content areas. Process skills are incorporated into test questions and reported along with content skills under the content reporting categories. Tests are required to have a minimum percent of questions that include both content and process skills. –Mathematics- Process skills for grades 3-8 are incorporated into at least 75% of the test questions. Spring Had a range of 75% to 87% of incorporated process skills. –Science- Process skills for science are incorporated into at least 40% of the test questions. Spring Had a range of 43% to 66% of incorporated process skills –Social Studies- Process skills for social studies are incorporated into at least 30% of test questions. Assessing Process Skills Information can be found at:

Where Do I Find Subject – Specific STAAR Resources? Posted on the TEA Student Assessment Website at: Assessed Curriculum, blueprints, assessment specific information such as: policies, assessing process skills, released questions, reference materials, griddable item format, graph paper, rubrics, test design schematics and performance level descriptors can be found under the STAAR Specific Resources Heading on the TEA Student Assessment Website. Performance Level Descriptors Describe the general level of knowledge and skills evident at each performance level for EOCs. Test Design Schematics Identities the test design for Reading, Writing and English Assessments. This includes what Day 1 and 2 look like on the writing assessments. STAAR Modified Resources There are similar resources for STAAR Modified located at:

Title Text Performance Levels

So, how did my students do? For the general STAAR assessments, STAAR Modified, and STAAR L, the labels for the performance categories are:

Performance Levels What do the performance standards levels tell us about students? –The type of academic intervention students need (none or little vs. short-term, targeted vs. significant, ongoing intervention) –Degree to which students are prepared for the next grade (unprepared vs. sufficiently prepared vs. well prepared) –Ability to think critically

So, did my students pass the EOC? Satisfactory Academic Performance on the EOCs are considered passing. There are also EOC minimum scores set below Level II-Satisfactory Performance that are within a reasonable range of the passing performance. A student must achieve a minimum score or higher on an EOC assessment for the test to be counted towards their cumulative score. If a student does not reach Level II performance, he or she is eligible to retest. Pasadena ISD requires students to retest if they did not meet Level II-Satisfactory Performance. A student may retest as many times as he or she would like, even if they obtained a Level II. The highest score obtained will count towards their cumulative score. Note: Level I Minimum is not passing.

STAAR EOC Assessment Requirements Who is required to achieve specific performance levels? Students graduating on the Recommended High School Program must meet Level II: Satisfactory Academic Performance on –English III –Algebra II Students graduating on the Distinguished Achievement Program must meet Level III: Advanced Academic Performance (post-secondary readiness) on –English III –Algebra II

Ok. So, What is this Cumulative Score Requirement? The EOC assessment scores are used to calculate a cumulative score in each of four foundation subject areas - math, science, English and social studies. A student’s cumulative score is determined using the student’s highest score on each EOC assessment. A student must achieve a minimum score on a test for the test results to contribute to the student’s cumulative score. The specific cumulative score target for each student will vary depending upon the student’s graduation plan and when he/she first takes the EOC exam in a content area. –For example, many students who take their first math STAAR EOC assessment in 2012 or 2013 will have a cumulative score requirement of 10,500 for mathematics based on the phase-in Level II performance standard of 3500 required for each math EOC ( = 10,500). STAAR EOC Level II Standards will be phased in over several years – Level II – Satisfactory Academic Performance Phase 1 Standards begin in & Phase 2 Standards begin in & Recommended Standards begin in and Thereafter Cumulative Score Example for Math: RE_JTF_Math_ANSWER_KEY_REV.pdf Cumulative score requirements do not apply to students taking STAAR Modified or STAAR Alternate.

TEA has set the EOC performance standards, which will increase over time. The phase-in standard for each student will depend on when he/she takes the first EOC exam in a content area.

And the Nominees of the STAAR Assessment Program are… General STAAR STAAR L STAAR Spanish STAAR Alternate STAAR Modified

Title Text Introducing STAAR Spanish, STAAR L, and TELPAS

First Nominee: STAAR Spanish Available for students in grades 3–5 –Grades 3–5 reading and math –Grade 4 writing –Grade 5 science STAAR Spanish is aligned to STAAR –Same grades and subjects are tested as STAAR in English –Same assessed curriculum –Same item types –Same STAAR blueprints for building tests –Same achievement standard alignment –Same focus on readiness for next grade level or course and ultimately postsecondary readiness Differences between STAAR and STAAR Spanish pertain to language accessibility –STAAR Spanish uses native language to help students understand the test There are no linguistic accommodations available on STAAR Spanish because the assessment is already in the student’s primary language. LPAC determines if STAAR Spanish test is the most appropriate measure of a student’s academic progress No STAAR Spanish forms of STAAR Modified available. However, additional linguistic accommodations are available for eligible ELLs who take STAAR Modified.

Second Nominee: STAAR L Eligibility –Spanish-version test does not exist (for example, student is in grade 6-12) OR is not most appropriate measure of academic progress for the student –Student must be in first 3 years in U.S. schools (unless unschooled asylee/refugee, then first 5 years) –Student has not yet reached advanced high rating on TELPAS reading test STAAR L is aligned to STAAR –Same assessed curriculum –Same item types –Same STAAR blueprints for building tests –Same achievement standard alignment –Same focus on readiness for next grade level or course and ultimately postsecondary readiness Differences between STAAR and STAAR L pertains to language accessibility –STAAR L provides English-language accommodations to help students understand test No STAAR L forms of STAAR Modified available. However, additional linguistic accommodations available for eligible ELLs who taking STAAR Modified.

Second Nominee: STAAR L Continued Linguistically Accommodated versions of STAAR grades 3–8 and EOC –Computer Based Assessment – STAAR L is composed of STAAR test forms in English that have built-in computer based linguistic accommodations designed for ELLs who are eligible for a significant degree of linguistic accommodations. – STAAR L is for math, science, and social studies (EOC included) – No STAAR L for reading and writing – Two types of accommodations are built into the STAAR L interface Clarification in English - Students will be able to click on words to see definitions, synonyms, pictures and animations as needed to improve comprehension; content terms assessed not clickable Reading Aloud of Text - Students will be able to have words and phrases read aloud by the interface Examples of language to be clarified in online system (as long as assessed content words not clarified): –Vocabulary including idiomatic language and colloquialisms –Long clauses and difficult conjunctions –Difficult prepositions or series of prepositional phrases –Complex verb tenses or difficult irregular verb forms –Passive voice –Complex question phrases –Difficult word order –Contexts that may be culturally unfamiliar or confusing

**** All ELLs will participate in STAAR (no exemptions will be granted by TEA). There is no longer an exemption from the Reading test for students in their first-year in U.S. schools or unschooled immigrants. LPAC makes decisions in accordance with state participation criteria For ELLs with a disability, LPAC collaborates with key members of ARD or Section 504 committee STAAR Spanish and L Participation Requirement Summary

ELLs with Parental Denials TAC § (f) An ELL whose parent or guardian declines bilingual/ESL program services outlined in state law is not eligible for special ELL assessments, accommodations, or accountability provisions –No testing in Spanish or STAAR L –No linguistic accommodations –No English I/II EOC special provisions –No unschooled asylee/refugee provisions (A Note about TELPAS: ELLs with parental denials are required to be assessed with TELPAS.)

And It was just nice to be nominated… TELPAS Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) assesses the English language proficiency of English language learners in grades K-12 in four language domains: listening, speaking, reading and writing. TELPAS assesses students in alignment with the Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), which are part of the TEKS. Measures annual growth in English language acquisition. Students performance is reported in terms of the four English language proficiency levels described in the ELPS: beginning, intermediate, advanced, and advanced high. Assessment Components: Grades K–1 –Holistically rated observational assessments of listening, speaking, reading, and writing Grades 2–12 –Holistically rated observational assessments of listening and speaking –Holistically rated writing collections –Multiple-choice online reading tests in six grade clusters: 2, 3, 4–5, 6–7, 8–9, 10–12 (A Note about TELPAS: ELLs with parental denials are required to be assessed with TELPAS.)

Title Text Introducing STAAR Modified and STAAR Alternate

STAAR and Students Served Through Special Education For students receiving special education services, Modified and Alternate versions of the STAAR are available if the general STAAR assessment does not meet the student’s needs. –Grades 3-8 STAAR Modified and STAAR Alternate –Nine EOC Assessments available for STAAR Modified and Alternate English I, II, III Algebra I, Geometry World History, World Geography, U.S. History Biology Algebra II, Chemistry, and Physics will NEVER be assessed with STAAR Modified or STAAR Alternate The Modified and Alternate assessments are aligned to the TEKS as well as to the reporting categories for STAAR. The blueprints for the these assessments differ from the general STAAR. High School End-of –Courses MathEnglishScienceSocial Studies Algebra IEnglish I - Writing English I - Reading BiologyWorld Geography GeometryEnglish II - Writing English II - Reading ChemistryWorld History Algebra IIEnglish III - Writing English III - Reading PhysicsU.S. History

Third Nominee: STAAR Modified What is STAAR Modified and who is it for? An alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards –Different passing standard than STAAR –Different test questions, but based on STAAR For students receiving special education services who meet participation requirements Must meet all 3 participation requirements (with specific evidence in IEP/ARD): 1. Multiple years behind grade-level or course expectations and will not progress at the rate of non-disabled peers 2. IEP contains TEKS-based goals indicating modified content required to access general curriculum or course 3. Direct (small group or individualized) and intensive (continuous and ongoing) instruction required to acquire, maintain and transfer skills Reflects same increase in rigor as STAAR –Questions written at the level of the TEKS Design –20% reduction in length from the general STAAR –3 answer choices instead of 4 –Simplified sentence structure –Embedded field test items

How is STAAR Modified… modified? Began with general STAAR and simplified the reading selections, test questions, and answer choices by: –Reducing the number of questions tested and deleting one answer choice –Simplifying sentence structure, vocabulary, digits, and grid for griddable questions (mathematics only) –Revising or adding context for clarification Examples: pre-reading text in reading and writing, definitions, formulas and/or conversions –Deleting extraneous information Examples: reduce number of variables/steps/operations, delete one part of compound answer choices –Organizing information differently Examples: chunk (separate into parts) reading and editing selections, bulleting information, additional spacing Or… deleted certain things from STAAR so that they are not tested on STAAR Modified –Delete “not” or “except” questions –Delete griddable questions (science tests only)

–Separate paired STAAR reading selections (test as single selections that are not thematically linked) and delete all thematically-linked crossover questions (reading tests only) The decoding level of STAAR Modified reading selections is simplified (e.g., sentence structure, vocabulary). Student expectations in Reporting Category 1 associated with making connections across texts are not tested on STAAR Modified Only vocabulary are tested in Reporting Category 1 for STAAR Modified –Students will be assessed with only one type of writing prompt in each tested grade (writing tests only) –Student compositions are scored on a three-point rubric (writing tests only) How is STAAR Modified… modified? Continued STAAR Modified Resources Resources for STAAR Modified located at: ent.assessment/special- ed/staarm/ ent.assessment/special- ed/staarm/

STAAR Alternate

Fourth Nominee: STAAR Alternate STAAR Alternate is designed for the purpose of assessing students in grades 3–8 and high school who have significant cognitive disabilities, receive special education services and meet the participation requirements. STAAR Alternate is not a traditional paper or multiple choice test. The assessment involves teachers observing students as they complete state-developed assessment tasks that link to the grade-level or high school course TEKS through prerequisite skills. Teachers then evaluate student performance based on the dimensions of the STAAR Alternate scoring rubric. All tested subjects grades of 12 EOCs (No Algebra II, Chemistry or Physics). High School End-of –Courses- STAAR Alternate MathEnglishScienceSocial Studies Algebra IEnglish I - Writing English I - Reading BiologyWorld Geo. GeometryEnglish II - Writing English II - Reading ChemistryWorld Hist. Algebra IIEnglish III - Writing English III - Reading PhysicsU.S. History

Fourth Nominee: STAAR Alternate Continued STAAR Alternate Resources are available at:

The STAAR IS within our reach Contact Information: Rachel McAdam Student Assessment