STAR - STAR Assessment Interpreting Core Scoring Metrics Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A fifth-grade student's STAR Reading report indicates a Grade Equivalent (GE) of 7.2. How should this score be interpreted?
- The student has mastered all reading standards for the seventh grade.
- The student should be immediately moved to a seventh-grade English Language Arts class.
- The student scored as well on this test as a typical seventh-grader would in the second month of school. (Correct answer)
- The student is ready to read and comprehend any text written at a seventh-grade level.
Correct answer: The student scored as well on this test as a typical seventh-grader would in the second month of school.
A Grade Equivalent (GE) score compares a student's performance to that of other students nationally. A GE of 7.2 means the student's score is similar to the average score of a seventh-grader in the second month of the school year. It does not indicate mastery of seventh-grade content or that the student is ready for seventh-grade curriculum.
Question 2: Which of the following STAR Assessment metrics is most appropriate for tracking a student's academic growth over multiple testing periods within and across school years?
- Percentile Rank (PR)
- Scaled Score (SS) (Correct answer)
- Instructional Reading Level (IRL)
- Benchmark Category
Correct answer: Scaled Score (SS)
The Scaled Score (SS) is an equal-interval scale that spans all grades (e.g., 0-1400 for STAR Reading/Math). This consistent scale allows for direct comparison of a student's performance over time, making it the most reliable metric for measuring long-term academic growth.
Question 3: A student has a Percentile Rank (PR) of 65 on the STAR Math assessment. What does this score signify?
- The student answered 65% of the questions correctly.
- The student is performing below the grade-level expectation.
- The student performed as well as or better than 65% of their peers in the same grade nationwide. (Correct answer)
- The student's raw score was 65 points.
Correct answer: The student performed as well as or better than 65% of their peers in the same grade nationwide.
Percentile Rank (PR) is a norm-referenced score that compares a student's performance to a national sample of students in the same grade. A PR of 65 indicates that the student's score was higher than or equal to the scores of 65% of students in the national norm group.
Question 4: A teacher is using a STAR Reading report to select books that are challenging but not frustrating for a student to read independently. Which metric would be most useful for this purpose?
- Student Growth Percentile (SGP)
- Domain Scores
- Grade Equivalent (GE)
- Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) provides a range of book levels that are appropriately challenging for a student to read with optimal growth. It is specifically designed to help guide students in selecting books for independent reading practice.
Question 5: A student's STAR Reading Scaled Score (SS) increased from 550 in the fall to 580 in the winter. However, their Percentile Rank (PR) dropped from 50 to 45. What is the most likely explanation for this change?
- The student's academic growth was slower than that of their national peer group during the same period. (Correct answer)
- The winter test was significantly more difficult than the fall test.
- The Scaled Score increase is an error and should be disregarded.
- The student's performance declined relative to their own previous scores.
Correct answer: The student's academic growth was slower than that of their national peer group during the same period.
While the student's Scaled Score shows absolute growth (an increase of 30 points), the drop in Percentile Rank indicates their growth was less than the average growth of their peers nationwide between the fall and winter testing windows. Norms expect students to make progress during the year, so to maintain a percentile rank, a student must grow at a rate similar to their peers.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of the Student Growth Percentile (SGP) in STAR assessment reports?
- To determine if a student is performing at, above, or below the grade-level benchmark at a single point in time.
- To compare a student's growth over time to the growth of academic peers with a similar achievement history. (Correct answer)
- To predict a student's final grade in a subject based on their current performance.
- To calculate the percentage of curriculum standards the student has mastered.
Correct answer: To compare a student's growth over time to the growth of academic peers with a similar achievement history.
The Student Growth Percentile (SGP) is a norm-referenced growth measure. It compares a student's rate of growth to that of their academic peers—other students in the same grade with a similar past testing history. It answers the question, 'Did this student grow more or less than expected compared to similar students?'
STAR - STAR Assessment Interpreting Core Scoring Metrics Questions and Answers 1
A fifth-grade student's STAR Reading report indicates a Grade Equivalent (GE) of 7.2.
How should this score be interpreted?