Now You Can Assess Student Reading in 10 Minutes!

Computer-AdaptiveReading Test & Database

Software Manual

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Welcome

Thank you for selecting the STAR Reading™ computer-adaptive, norm-referenced reading test and database. With STAR Reading software, you can assess the reading levels of students in grades 1-12 in about 10 minutes. STAR Reading’s computer-adaptive testing offers you easy-to-use tools that help you match your instruction to individual student levels.

The STAR Reading Adaptive Branching™ technology accurately assesses reading levels. The student works through a short, assisted-response (multiple-choice) test. If a student misses a question, the difficulty level is reduced. If a student’s response is correct, the difficulty is increased. This system minimizes frustration and provides more accurate scores for both high-performing and low-performing students.

Advantage Learning Systems offers a complete family of learning information systems (LIS) for reading, math, and writing. As you soon will discover, LIS provide today’s busy educators with timely, accurate information on student academic performance. The information you receive from LIS allows you to quickly adjust instruction to help all of your students reach their greatest potential.

We want you to start enjoying the benefits of this product as soon as possible. To receive the best results from your software, read this manual before using the program. It is filled with useful information to help you use your STAR Reading software effectively for years to come.

If you need more information or help while you use your STAR Reading software, email your question to us at answers@advlearn.com.

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CLASS ACCESS

Logging In

To use the STAR Reading Management program, you need to

• Start the Management program, and

• Enter a password.

How to start the Management Program

Windows 95 or higher: From the Taskbar, click the [Start] button, select Programs, select STAR Reading, then highlight and click STAR Reading Management.

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Windows 3.x: In the Program Manager, double-click the STAR Reading program group (if it isn’t already open). Then, double-click the STAR Reading Management icon.

Macintosh: If your STAR Reading folder isn’t open, find the folder and double-click it to open it. Then, double-click the STAR Reading Management icon.

The Management Program

The Management program is where you maintain and manage your students’ performance and progress. The Management program is also where you customize the program to meet the needs of your school.

The Welcome screen

After you start the STAR Reading Management program, the Welcome screen appears first. This screen welcomes you and identifies the program. To go on, you can click your mouse button anywhere in the window or press any key on your keyboard.

Double-click this icon.

Double-click this icon.

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After you press any key or click your mouse button, a dialog box will open, asking you to enter a password.

How to enter your password

1. In the Password dialog box, type your password.

2. Click the [OK] button.

Type in your password.

Then, click [OK].

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The Main screen

After you enter your password, the Main screen appears. This screen has five buttons:

From the Main screen, you can go to the five sections of the Management program.

• Students: Choose this to add, edit, or delete student information that is stored in the database, promote students, or clear student locks.

• Classes: Choose this if you want to create new classes, edit class information, delete classes, enroll students that aren’t already in a class, unenroll students, edit teacher information, or clear class locks.

• Registration: Choose this if you want to register your students for testing or see a list of the students who have been registered. This is only necessary if the Administrator has changed the Student Test Registration preference to require registration;

• Preferences: Choose this if you want to use the preferences to customize the program. Keep in mind that the changes you make to these preferences affect all of your STAR Reading classes. Some preferences also affect all Advantage Learning Systemsprograms that share the same database.

• Reports: Choose this to create, preview, and print reports.

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C H A P T E R 6

ManagingReports

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STAR Reading software is more than a database program — it is a complete information-gathering and reporting system. Reports show you the data collected during student tests, analyze student performance, and recommend ways for improving reading skills. Some reports also provide administrative information, including STAR Reading setup information and lists of your students and classes. To customize, preview, and print reports,you need to be viewing the Reports management screen (Go menu > Reports).

Customizing Reports

Many STAR Reading reports can be customized to include only the information you want. Simply click once on the report, then click the [Custom] button to start a Reports Assistant or Wizard. You will be guided through the options available for that report. After you select your options, preview or print the report.

Some reports use standardized information that cannot be customized.

Previewing and Printing Reports

You can preview or print STAR Reading reports with the click of a button. Each report has default settings based on the way teachers typically use the report. However, you can customize most reports to fit your needs. See “Customizing Reports” above. To preview or print a report, you should be viewing the Reports management screen (Go menu > Reports).

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Things to know about previewing and printing reports

• You should preview a report before you print it to make sure that it includes the information you want.

• You can print reports from the Report Preview window or directly from the Reports management screen.

• You can use Quick Find to search for a specific report — just start typing the report name at the Reports screen and click [OK] in the dialog box that opens.

How to preview a report

1. Go to the Reports management screen (Go menu > Reports). Then, click once on the report you want to preview.

2. Click the [Preview] button.

Once you preview the report, you can magnify it or set the page size using the options available on the screen (Windows) or in the Reports menu (Macintosh).

3. If you would like to print the report when you are done previewing it, click the [Print] button. Otherwise, click the [Done] button (Macintosh) or the [Close] button (Windows).

Step 1:Click on the report that you want to preview.

Step 2:Then, click the [Preview] button.

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How to print a report

1. Go to the Reports management screen (Go menu > Reports). Then, click once on the report you want to print.

2. Click the [Print] button.

3. Choose the appropriate settings in the Print dialog box. Then, click the [Print] button (Macintosh) or the [OK] button (Windows).

Step 1:Click on the report that you want to print.

Step 2:Then, click the [Print] button.

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Report Descriptions

This section describes the reports you can preview and print at the Management program’s Reports management screen (Go menu > Reports).

Class

If you logged in using the Administrator password, this report lists all of the classes in the STAR Reading database, the teacher of each class, and the students enrolled in it. If you logged in using a class password, the report lists your classes. This report cannot be customized.

Diagnostic

The Diagnostic report provides an individual skills assessment and other diagnostic information for each of the students you have selected. This report helps classroom teachers determine how to improve their students’ performance; it also supports a direct discussion with an individual student’s parents or guardians.

This report includes the students’ Scaled Score (SS), Grade Equivalent (GE), Percentile Rank (PR), Percentile Rank range, Normal Curve Equivalent (NCE), Instructional Reading Level (IRL), and Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). (For more information about the scores, see “Score Definitions” on page 6-10.) The Diagnostic report also suggests how the student can achieve additional growth — especially if the student falls below the 25th percentile.

Using the [Custom] button, you can select the students and tests you want to include on the report. You can also decide how to group and sort the information that appears on the report, and you can choose not to include the Grade Equivalent (GE).

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Enrollment

This report lists students who are enrolled in STAR Reading classes. If you have Administrator access, the report shows the students enrolled in all classes; if you have Classroom access, the report will only show the students enrolled in your classes. The report lists enrolled students, their student IDs, grades, classes, and the teacher assigned to their classes. It also includes students who are not enrolled in a STAR Reading class.

Using the [Custom] button, you can select the students you want to include on the report. You can also decide how to group and sort the information that appears on the report.

Growth

This report shows the test results for the students you’ve selected and measures their progress between two testing sessions. (If you have Classroom access, you can only select your students.) You can use this report to evaluate your students’ improvement during the year or over many years. It includes each student’s name, class, teacher, test date, Grade Placement, Scaled Score (SS), Grade Equivalent (GE), Percentile Rank (PR), Percentile Rank range, Normal Curve Equivalent (NCE), and Instructional Reading Level (IRL) for the pretest and posttest, as well as the mean pretest and posttest scores for the entire group of students. (For more information about scores, see “Score Definitions” on page 6-10.)

Using the [Custom] button, you can select the students and tests you want to include on the report. You can also decide how to group and sort the information that appears on the report, and you can choose not to show the Grade Equivalent (GE) or to only show the students’ summary information.

Master Student

This report lists all of the students in the database. It shows each student’s name, ID, birth date, gender, grade, race, and characteristics. This report cannot be customized.

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Parent

This report presents a student’s test results from a particular testing session for his or her parents or guardians. The report includes a detailed comparison to scores on the national level; it shows the Grade Equivalent (GE), Percentile Rank (PR), Percentile Rank range, Instructional Reading Level (IRL), and Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). (For more information on these scores, see “Score Definitions” on page 6-10.) The Parent report is generated in an easy-to-read letter format with sections for a teacher’s signature and additional comments about the student’s performance.

If you have Administrator access, you can print Parent reports for any group of students. If you have Classroom access, you can only print Parent reports for your students.

Using the [Custom] button, you can select the students and tests you would like to create reports for. You can also choose not to show Grade Equivalent on the report.

Reading Range

This report shows a list of students and their Zones of Proximal Development (ZPD). It also defines the Zone of Proximal Development.

Using the [Custom] button, you can select the students you would like to include and how those students are grouped and sorted.

Registration

This report lists the students who are currently registered for testing. The report is only available if you have chosen to require students to be registered before they can take STAR Reading tests.

The report lists each student’s name, ID, Grade, Estimated Instructional Reading Level (Estimated IRL), class, teacher, and (if specified) password.

If you have Administrator access, the report shows all registered students; if you have Classroom access, the report only shows your registered students.

Using the [Custom] button, you can decide whether student passwords appear on this report. You can also decide how to group and sort the students on the report.

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Score Definition

This report provides a brief explanation of each test score referenced in the other reports. In addition to helping you understand and analyze the various scores on the other reports, this report may be useful when you discuss a student’s test results with his or her parents or guardians. This report cannot be customized.

Setup

This report provides detailed information about your computer and how it uses STAR Reading software. The report includes this information:

• STAR Reading installation/registration data.

• Information about your computer.

• A list of the Advantage Learning Systems programs installed on this computer.

• The location of data files for each Advantage Learning Systems program installed on this computer.

This report cannot be customized.

Snapshot

This report summarizes the test results over time for the group of students you select. The report shows each student’s name, Grade Placement, test date, Instructional Reading Level, Scaled Score, Grade Equivalent (GE), Percentile Rank, Percentile Rank Range, and a graph. The report also shows a class summary and a summary of percentile rank distribution.

If you have Administrator access, you can select any of the students in your database. If you have Classroom access, you can only select your students for this report.

Using the [Custom] button, you can select the students and tests you want to include on the report. You can also decide how to group and sort the information that appears on the report, and you can choose not to show Grade Equivalent or to show only the students’ summary information.

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Student Detail

This report is similar to the Master Student List report, but it only includes those students who are enrolled in STAR Reading classes. It includes the student name, ID number, Estimated Instructional Reading Level, gender, race, birth date, characteristics, and (if customized) password. If you are using STAR Reading on multiple stand-alone computers, this report will help you keep track of the student records stored on each computer.

If you have Administrator access, you can select any students in the database for this report. If you have Classroom access, you can only select students in your classes.

Using the [Custom] button, you can select which students appear on this report and whether student passwords are included. You can also decide how to group and sort the information that appears on the report.

Summary

This report summarizes the test results over time for the group of students you select. It includes each student’s name, grade placement, class, teacher, test date, rank, Scaled Score (SS), Grade Equivalent (GE), Percentile Rank (PR), Normal Curve Equivalent (NCE), Instructional Reading Level (IRL), and Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). The report also shows a summary of the scores, the percentile rank distribution, the IRL distribution, and the GE distribution.

If you have Administrator access, you can select any of the students in your database for this report. If you have Classroom access, you can only select students in your classes.

Using the [Custom] button, you can select the students and tests you want to include on the report. You can also decide how to group and sort the information that appears on the report, and you can choose not to show the Grade Equivalent (GE) or to show only the students’ summary information.

Teacher

This report lists all of the teachers who have been assigned to one or more STAR Reading classes. (If you have Classroom access, this report only shows the teachers assigned to the classes that share your password.) This report cannot be customized.

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Test Activity

This report identifies the students who have and have not completed tests during a specified time period. It shows each student’s name, grade, class, teacher, the number of tests completed, the number of tests not completed, and the date of the last test. This report makes it easy for you to determine which students did not take a test during a particular test session.

If you have Administrator access, you can select any of the students in your database for this report. If you have Classroom access, you can only select students in your classes.

Using the [Custom] button, you can select the students and tests you want to include on the report. You can also decide how to group and sort the information that appears on the report.

Test Record

This report generates the individual results of every test taken during a specified time period for the students you have selected. For each test, the report shows the test date, grade placement, class, teacher, Scaled Score (SS), Grade Equivalent (GE), Percentile Rank (PR), Normal Curve Equivalent (NCE), Instructional Reading Level (IRL), and Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). This report is the easiest way to get a detailed look at a student’s test history.

If you have Administrator access, you can select any of the students in your database for this report. If you have Classroom access, you can only select students in your classes.

Using the [Custom] button, you can select the students and tests you want to include on the report. You can also choose not to show Grade Equivalent (GE).

Score Definitions

These terms are used on many STAR Reading reports. You can also find this information on the Score Definition report. For more information, see the Technical Manual in your binder.

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Grade Equivalent (GE)

Grade Equivalent scores range from 0.0 to 12.9+. They represent how a student’s test performance compares with that of other students nationally. For example, if a 5th-grade student has a GE of 7.6, his or her score is equal to that of a typical 7th grader after the sixth month of the school year. This score does not necessarily mean that the student is capable of reading 7th-grade material. It only indicates that his or her reading skills are well above average for his or her grade level.

Instructional Reading Level (IRL)

The Instructional Reading Level is the grade level at which a student is at least 80% proficient at recognizing words and comprehending reading material with assistance. IRL scores are Pre-Primer (PP), Primer (P), 1.0 through 12.9, or Post-High School (PHS). If a 7th-grade student has an IRL of 8.0, he or she reads 8th-grade words and books with 80% accuracy or better.

Normal Curve Equivalent (NCE)

NCE scores are similar to Percentile Ranks, but they are based on an equal interval scale. This means that the difference between any two successive scores on the NCE scale has the same meaning throughout the scale. NCEs range from 1 to 99. They are useful for making meaningful comparisons between different achievement tests and for statistical computations, such as determining an average score for a group of students. NCEs are mostly used for research purposes and government program evaluations.

Percentile Rank (PR) and Percentile Rank Range

The Percentile Rank score compares a student’s test performance with that of other students nationally in the same grade. It ranges from 1 to 99. This score indicates the percentage of other students nationally who obtained scores equal to or lower than the score of a particular student. For example, if a student has a PR of 85, the student’s reading skills are equal to or better than that of 85% of other children in the same grade. PRs give the best measure of a student’s reading ability compared to that of his or her peers.

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The PR Range indicates the range of PR scores a student would likely have achieved had he or she taken the test many times in a short period of time. It reflects the amount of statistical variability in a student’s PR score.

Scaled Score (SS)

The Scaled Score is the most fundamental STAR Reading score. It ranges from 0 to 1400 and spans grades 1 through 12. It is calculated based on the difficulty of the questions and the number of correct responses. Scaled Scores are useful for comparing student performance over time and across grades. In STAR Reading software, all other norm-referenced scores are derived from the Scaled Score.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) defines the reading level range from which a student should be selecting books for optimal growth in reading without frustration. The ZPD is especially useful for students using the Accelerated Reader® reading management system, which provides readability levels on all books included in the system. The ZPD, however, is approximate. Success at any reading level also depends on the student’s interest and prior knowledge of a book’s content. Teachers should use their professional judgment to adjust the level of books read to match an individual student’s needs and interests.

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C H A P T E R 8

Using theStudent Program

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This chapter explains how to use the STAR Reading Student program, including these topics:

• The STAR Reading test session.

• Starting the Student program.

• Taking a STAR Reading test.

The STAR Reading Test Session

The time required for a STAR Reading test session depends on how many students you have and how many computers you use.

There are 7 steps in STAR Reading testing:

1. The teacher in charge of testing explains the test using the STAR Reading Pre-Test Instructions. The Pre-Test Instructions can help students who have never taken the STAR Reading test feel more comfortable with the test. You should read these easy-to-follow instructions to your students before their test. Use the materials to show your students what the test looks like, how it works, and what happens when you don’t answer a question in time.

2. The test monitor starts the STAR Reading Student program.

3. The first student selects his or her class and name and enters a password if it is required.

4. The person who is monitoring the test enters a password if it is required.

5. The student goes through a short practice session to become familiar with the test format. The student must correctly answer three practice questions to go on to the actual test.

6. When the student successfully completes the practice session, the actual test begins. When the student finishes the test, the next student selects his or her class and name, and the process starts over.

7. When all of the students are done testing, the test monitor exits the Student program.

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How to start the STAR Reading Student Program

1. Macintosh: If it isn’t open, locate your STAR Reading folder and double-click on the STAR Reading Student program icon.

Windows 3.x: If it isn’t open, double-click the STAR Reading program group in the Program Man-ager. Then, double-click the STAR Reading Student program icon.

Windows 95 or higher: On your Taskbar, click the [Start] button, then click Programs, STAR Reading, then STAR Reading Student.

2. The Welcome screen will appear briefly; then, the STAR Reading Login dialog box will open.

Double-click the STAR Reading Student program icon.

Double-click the STAR Reading Student program icon.

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Taking a STAR Reading Test

Things to know before a test begins

• Students must use the keyboard, not the mouse, to select answers. Students’ test scores are calculated using specific norm-referenced data collected during the development of the STAR Reading test. Our quality assurance testing showed that providing more than one way to answer questions introduced an additional variable which could invalidate these norms: a student’s ability to use the mouse effectively. To maintain the validity of the norm-referenced scores, the test only accepts input from the keyboard so that every student starts the test with the same required skills — ensuring the test scores are determined by students’ reading skills, not their ability to use the mouse.

• Once a test has started, you can stop it at any time by pressing <Ctrl+A>, then clicking the [Yes] button. Aborted tests will not appear in your reports, and data from these tests is not used to calculate test scores. However, you can customize both the Test Activity report and the Test Record report to include the number of incomplete tests in a student record.

• Before students start testing, they need to be added in the Management program and enrolled in classes.

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How students take a STAR Reading test

1. In the STAR Reading Login dialog box, your students will be asked to select their class. To do this, they can click on their class in the list and click the [OK] button. If the list of classes is long, the student or test monitor can use the Quick Find feature to find the name more quickly – simply start typing the name of the class you are looking for, and click the [OK] button in the Find dialog box.

2. Next, the dialog box asks the student to select his or her name. The student clicks on the correct name and clicks the [OK] button. If the list of students is long, the student can use the Quick Find feature to find the name more quickly.

The student selects his or her class.

Then, the student clicks the [OK] button.

The student selects his or her name.

Then, the student clicks the [OK] button.

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3. By default, the STAR Reading program requires both a Monitor password and the student password. You may have used the Testing Password preference to require only the student password or only the Monitor password (see page 7-25); if so, your settings will affect the following steps.

If the student password is required, the Student Password dialog box appears next. The student enters his or her password and clicks the [OK] button.

STUDENT LOCKOUTS

If a student enters an incorrect password too many times, the program locks that student out of the program. Two alert messages appear when this happens; the first tells the student that he or she is locked out of the program, and the second asks the student to contact the monitor about the security problem. Lockouts help ensure that students log in only under their own names. Students who are locked out cannot log in to the Student program until the lockout is cleared.

The student enters his password.

Then, the student clicks the [OK] button.

The monitor enters his or her password.

Then, the monitor clicks the [OK] button.

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5. Next the practice session starts; the student is asked a few practice questions to make sure he or she understands how to take the test. Before a student can go on to the actual STAR Reading test, he or she must answer three practice questions correctly. If this does not happen, an alert appears, telling the student to ask for help next time he or she tries to take the test.

A teacher or monitor should help students understand how the test works; if necessary, help thestudent select the correct answers during the practice session.

The questions in the STAR Reading test are sentences with a fill-in-the-blank format. A list of four possible answers is shown below the question. The student selects an answer by pressing the <1>, <2>, <3>, or <4> key on the keyboard. A blue circle will appear around the answer the student selected, and that answer will appear in the blank in red text. The student can then change his or her answer if necessary by pressing a different key. When the student decides on the answer, he or she presses <return> (Macintosh) or <Enter> (Windows).

TIME LIMITS AND MISSED QUESTIONS

Although scores are not based on how quickly students answer questions, there is a time limit for answering each test question. Students in 1st and 2nd grade have 60 seconds to answer each question; all other students have 45 seconds to answer each of the first 20 questions and 90 seconds to answer each of the last 5 questions, which are longer. Fifteen seconds before the time limit is up, the program flashes a picture of a clock in the top right corner of the question screen. Students should make their best guess based on the available solutions to the test item. If the student does not select an answer and press <Enter> or <return> before time runs out, the screen will go blank, and the program will notify the student that time has run out. Then, the next question will appear. The unanswered question will be counted as an incorrect answer.

6. If the practice session is successful, the program notifies the student that the test is about to start. The program then begins the actual test. The student answers questions until the test is over. (For grades 3-12, the last five questions are longer authentic text passages.) When the student has answered all of the questions, the program shows that the test is over; then, it returns to the STAR Reading Login dialog box.

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