STAR Testing Apr 28th-May 2nd and May 5th-May 9th

Students in grades 2 through 5 will participate in the mandated statewide assessment program, generally known as STAR testing, during the weeks of April 28th- May 2nd and May 5th - May 9th. The STAR testing includes the California Standards Tests (CST) and the California Achievement Tests (CAT/6). Students in grades 2-5 participate in the CST. The CAT-6 is administered in grade 3 only. Both tests are a multiple-choice format in which students are asked to select the correct answer from four or five possible answers. Students will be answering questions in the areas of reading, language arts, mathematics, and spelling; in addition, fifth graders will take a test in science. In an effort to provide students with the best possible testing conditions, teachers will be administering a few subtests each morning of the testing period rather than have students sit through long periods of testing at one time.

Our goal is to help students approach the STAR testing with seriousness and confidence. Since our students will be taking standardized tests throughout their school careers, we feel that one of our responsibilities is to help students become familiar with the multiple-choice format and to begin to teach them strategies for taking these kinds of tests. We help them learn how to fill in the bubbles properly and how to think through the tricky distracters common in multiple-choice questions and answers.

Parents can help their children be successful during these tests by making sure:

• Your child gets plenty of sleep each night.


• Your child eats regular, healthy meals - especially breakfast.


• Your child arrives at school on time each day.


• You schedule any necessary appointments after the school day during these two weeks.
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In addition to these four critically important elements, we also know you will support your child psychologically. Maintaining a positive attitude and reducing stress at home will further enable your child to concentrate on the testing and to put forth his/her best effort. We encourage you to join us in assuring your child that s/he is well prepared and in dispelling any small anxieties s/he may have. Standardized tests, like the CAT-6, are normed on a bell curve which requires that items children are not expected to know are included - otherwise, there would be no "bell curve." All the more reason to be reassuring with our children.