State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness

General Information STAAR is a criterion-referenced test that measures a student’s performance in comparison to the curriculum standards, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), for each subject and grade level.

STAAR 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 ideas. Supporting Standards… -may be introduced in the current grade or course. -maybe emphasized in a previous or subsequent year. -may be reinforced in the current grade or course. -play a role in preparing student for the next grade or coarse – but not a central role. -address more narrowly defined ideas than Readiness Standards.

STAAR Tests Grade 3 : Reading and Math Grade 4 : Reading, Math, and Writing Grade 5: Reading, Math, and Science 5 th grade students must pass reading and math STAAR to be promoted to 6 th grade. Only 5 th grade students have the opportunity to retest.

Testing Dates April 1 st : 5 th Grade Reading 4 th Grade Writing (Day 1) April 2 nd : 5 th Grade Math & 4 th Grade Writing (Day 2) April 22 nd : 3 rd and 4 th Grade Reading April 23 rd : 3 rd and 4 th Grade Math April 24 th : 5 th Grade Science Each testing session is 4 hours.

Accountability Performance Labels – Level III: Advanced Academic Performance – Level II : Satisfactory Academic Performance – Level I: Unsatisfactory Academic Performance **Emphasis is on college and career readiness.

STAAR Reading

STAAR is Rigorous! The reading passages are long. Questions are complex and require deep thinking. 3 rd grade students read 4-5 selections. – Possible 48 questions 3 rd grade students are required to read, comprehend, and analyze up to a maximum 3,400 word in 4 hours.

STAAR is Rigorous! 4 th and 5 th grade students read 3 or 4 single selections and a paired selection. – Possible 52 questions in 4 th grade. – Possible 54 questions in 5 th grade. 4 th and 5 th grade students are required to read, comprehend, and analyze up to 4,000 words in 4 hours.

Genres Assessed-Literary Students in 3 rd, 4 th, & 5 th grade are assessed using: Fiction Literary Nonfiction Poetry Drama is added in 4 th grade Media literacy (technology) is embedded throughout the test.

Genres Assessed-Informational  Students in 3 rd, 4 th, & 5 th grade are assessed using: Expository Procedural Persuasive is added in 5 th grade Media literacy (technology) is embedded throughout the test.

Paired Selections Strands and genres can be mixed! Literary-Literary Fiction-poetry Literary nonfiction-drama Fiction-literary nonfiction Informational- Informational Expository- expository Expository-persuasive Literary- Informational Fiction-expository Poetry-expository Literary nonfiction-persuasive

Students must be able to… analyze a variety of texts, their organizational patterns, and make connections between texts in a logical way. draw conclusions about the interaction of characters and the changes they undergo throughout the text. make complex inferences within and between a variety of text using text evidence. recognize how the structure of the text affects meaning. determine the meaning of unfamiliar and multiple- meaning words using context, prefixes, suffixes, and roots.

Students must be able to… understand how the author uses sensory language to create imagery and how figurative language contributes to the meaning. identify the theme, determine the order and importance of the plot’s main events. summarize the plot and describe the interaction of characters. identify the author’s purpose. use text features to locate information that supports meaning.

How can parents help? Make sure that students read at least 30 minutes daily! Read with your children, have conversations about what they are reading and ask questions. A list of question stems is available to help start reading conversations. “Think out loud” to help your child understand how to logically think through the information. Make sure that your child does their homework and that they show all work clearly. Make sure your child’s work shows clear thinking, as well as the depth of their thinking.

STAAR Math

STAAR MATH GRADES 3, 4, & 5 More Rigorous? What does that mean?  Uses complex questioning that requires analysis and logical reasoning to understand the task.  Multiple-step problems with fewer key word indicators to help determine appropriate strategies.  More fill-in griddable questions without answer choices. Computation errors can go undetected.  Test is longer and time is limited to 4 hours 3 rd Grade - 46 questions 4 th Grade - 48 questions 5 th Grade - 50 questions * Extra field test questions are added each year which extend the length even more.

STAAR MATH GRADES 3, 4, & 5 What does the test look like? 3 rd Grade Question: Luther waited 50 minutes in line to buy tickets to a play. While waiting, Luther played his video game for 12 minutes and read a book for 25 minutes. The rest of the time, Luther talked to his best friend Chuck. How much time did Luther spend talking to Chuck? A. 38 minutes B. 25 minutes C. 37 minutes D. 13 minutes Multistep problem – must add , then subtract from 50. Complex question – missing an addend, not a sum ( ___ = 50) Logical reasoning - must recognize choices A, B, and C are too large based on context of the problem. If you misunderstand the question, answer A or B could seem reasonable.

STAAR MATH GRADES 3, 4, & 5 What is being tested and what are the expectations? The 5 Math Reporting Categories and Student Expectations  Numbers and operations: The student will demonstrate an understanding of numbers, operations, and quantitative reasoning.  Patterns and relationships: The student will demonstrate an understanding of patterns, relationships, and algebraic reasoning.  Geometry: The student will demonstrate an understanding of geometry and spatial reasoning.  Measurement: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and uses of measurement.  Probability and Statistics (graphs): The student will demonstrate an understanding of probability and statistics. * Underlying Processes and Mathematical Tools concepts are embedded within multi-step problem solving. The students will need to read carefully to identify the appropriate steps.

STAAR MATH GRADES 3, 4, & 5 How Parents Can Help?  Help your child memorize multiplication facts- practice with flashcards  Encourage your child to show all their work and explain it to you  Model your thinking aloud to solve problems and then have your child solve a similar problem  Use math vocabulary with your child  Make connections to every day math  Find online resources (Google specific skills to locate practice)  Make your child read EVERYDAY. Good reading skills are essential to understanding STAAR math problems.

How Parents Can Help? (cont.) Ask Your Child Higher Level Questions How would you explain ….? Why does this work/not work …? How could you verify…? How would you prove… or disprove…? What can you conclude about…? What information lead you to draw this conclusion? Where else could you apply this thinking?

STAAR Writing 4 th Grade

STAAR Writing – 4 th Grade Two Day Writing Test Day 1 -½ multiple choice and 1 composition Day 2 -½ multiple choice and 1 composition Four-hour time limit per day

STAAR Writing – 4 th Grade Test Components - Composition - Revising and Editing (multiple choice)

STAAR Writing -Revising Revision Focus (32%/9 items multiple choice) – Effectiveness – Introduction and conclusion – Organization – Progression – Development – Language/Word Choice – Sentences

STAAR Writing – Editing Editing Focus (68%/19 items multiple choice) – Correctness – Conventions

STAAR Writing - Composition Students will write 2, one-page compositions addressing different types of writing. Personal Narrative: Write about an important personal experience. Expository: Create a brief composition that establishes a central idea in a topic sentence, contains a concluding statement, and includes supporting sentences with simple facts, details, and explanations.

STAAR Writing After completing the multiple choice questions for that day’s test, and within the four-hour time limit, a student will be expected to brainstorm his topic, make a graphic organizer for the piece of writing, write the actual composition, then revise and edit his work.

STAAR Writing Composition Scoring Organization and Progression – Is the paper written to the prompt? – Does the paper maintain focus? – Does the writer establish relationships among ideas Development of Ideas - Are examples detailed and well-chosen? -Is the piece engaging and does the writer demonstrate understanding of the task? Use of Language/conventions -Is the word choice thoughtful, appropriate, and purposeful? -Are the sentences varied and purposeful? -Does the writer demonstrate the use of conventions and is the piece fluent and clear?

STAAR Science – 5 th Grade

STAAR Science 44 Multiple Choice Questions Extensive use of content vocabulary Application of scientific knowledge

STAAR Science Science – Science Lab Safety – Properties of Matter – Force, Motion, and Energy – Sun, Earth, and Moon – Landforms – Sharing the Planet – Terrestrial Environment – Biomes and Ecosystems

How Can Parents Help? Practice science vocabulary at home. Encourage discovery.

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