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.