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=__Rationale for Our STAR Schedule__= Our schedule makes it so the teacher of the material the student will be tested on is the one to administer the test of that material.
 * No teacher will be the victim of someone else's poor test proctoring. Be it due to disdain for the test, poor preparation, or carelessness, poor proctoring will only affect that teacher's scores.
 * Research says that students do best on tests when the testing environment matches as closely as possible with their learning environment. Thus, the schedule reduces students' test-stress.
 * API improvement falls into two broad categories: 1) making the test a more accurate reflection of student learning, and 2) improving the quality of student learning. Our schedule goes to the former; but our dedication to this logistically challenging schedule shows a commitment to the latter.

=__Test Day Procedures__=













2012 DFA for Grades 9-11

What is the absolute minimum for a teacher to know/do to do well for a successful STAR test administration?
 * "Read the DFA "**Say...**" sections word for word."--Baker
 * "Show me you've proctored your tests by catching students' procedural errors before we do. When you don't do it, we can tell."--Baker
 * "Stay positive."--Stephen Gatewood

Ca. Dept. of Ed. Training Videos: 1) CST General Examiner, 2) CST High School.

=__My Students Take STAR Seriously Because__= (STAR Incentives Committee) (Bryan Baker) (Geni Aymeric)
 * Their parents go over the scores with them during the summer.
 * "I want to do well because my parents and I go through the score report over the summer."--BV Student, 2009.
 * They want to know how well they're doing.
 * "I want to gauge my own progress, independent of my teachers, some of whom grade really easy and others not."--BV Student, 2009.
 * Their teachers pay attention to the scores and let the students know it.
 * "I talk to my students before and after the test. If they got a good grade from me but did poorly on the test, I let 'em have it."--Brett Sargent, 2008.

=__As a Teacher I Take STAR Seriously Because__=
 * "The better our students do, the better our API scores, the better our school's reputation, the more we attract the best students. Over half of BV students live outside of our attendance boundary."--Baker

=__Using STAR Released Questions__= How to Use STAR Test Released Questions STAR Test Released Questions Number of Questions Per Standard


 * Observation**:The English tests have a lot of reading to do for every few problems. The type of reading is split pretty evenly between narrative and expository texts.
 * Probing question**: What are the ramifications regarding reading/writing across the curriculum?

=__2011 STAR Staff Training Lesson Plan__=







=__**Syntopic Reading**__=
 * ==[|Theory of "plateau effect" in test scores is contested] A [|study] of test-score trends in 16 states contests the "plateau effect" theory about accountability testing -- that scores increase sharply at first under new tests as marginal students are brought up to proficiency, then plateau as students with learning challenges receive additional attention. "It should make us all a little more cautious about believing all test results are sacrosanct," said Jack Jennings, head of the nonpartisan Center on Education Policy. [|Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org)] (7/22) ==