Throughout the school year, our students participate in STAR assessments in reading and math. While families may be familiar with hearing about “STAR testing,” you may wonder what these assessments tell us, and, more importantly, what we do with the information afterward.
At our school, STAR is about much more than a score. It is one of several tools we use to better understand each student as a learner, celebrate growth, identify areas where additional support may be needed, and make informed decisions about instruction.
What Is STAR Testing?
STAR assessments are brief, computer-based assessments that provide teachers with information about students’ current skills in reading and math. Students take STAR assessments at different points throughout the school year, allowing us to see not only where students are at a particular moment, but also how they are growing over time.
What Happens After Students Take STAR?
The most important part of STAR testing happens after the assessment is complete. Our teachers review the results and use them alongside classroom work, teacher observations, other assessments, and what they know about each individual student. Together, these pieces of information help us identify student strengths, areas for continued growth, and opportunities for additional support or enrichment.
The goal is not simply to ask, “What score did this student receive?” Instead, we want to ask, “What does this student need next in order to continue growing?”
That question helps guide instructional decisions in the classroom. Teachers may adjust instruction, provide additional practice in a particular skill, offer new challenges, or monitor an area more closely. When appropriate, STAR data can also be one piece of information used when determining whether a student may benefit from additional intervention or support.
Why Do We Test More Than Once?
Learning happens throughout the entire school year, so one assessment can only provide a snapshot of a student’s learning at a particular point in time.
By assessing students at multiple points during the year, we are able to monitor growth and determine whether the instruction and support we are providing are helping students make progress. Each testing window gives us another opportunity to reflect, adjust, and respond to student needs.
It also gives us something worth celebrating: growth! A student’s progress over time can tell us just as much, and often more, than a single score.
How Can Families Help?
STAR testing does not need to be a high-pressure experience. Families can help by making sure students get a good night’s sleep, eat breakfast, arrive at school on time, and come ready to do their best.
Most importantly, remind your child that the goal is simply to show what they know. They do not need to study or prepare for STAR like they might for a classroom test.
One Piece of the Bigger Picture
No single assessment can tell us everything about a child. STAR provides valuable information, but it is only one piece of the bigger picture. Classroom performance, daily work, teacher observations, other assessments, student growth, and the individual strengths and needs of each child all contribute to our understanding of a student.
When we put those pieces together, data becomes more than numbers on a report. It becomes a tool that helps us make thoughtful decisions about teaching and learning.
Ultimately, STAR testing helps us answer the question at the heart of our work as educators:
Where is this student now, and how can we help them take their next step forward?
St. Bernard Catholic School is part of the Green Bay Area Catholic Education (GRACE) School System. It is a private Catholic school that serves preschool and elementary through 8th grade (PK3-8) with open enrollment. St. Bernard’s provides an individualized education in a faith-based environment. Each child is supported not only academically, but spiritually.
