California Standards Test
(CST)

The California Standards Tests are part of the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program established by Senate Bill 376 in 1997. These criterion-referenced tests developed for the State of California are aligned to the state-adopted standards. Questions for all tests are presented in a multiple-choice format. Scores are reported as performance levels.

The scores from the STAR assessments are the basis for calculating the school’s state Academic Performance Index (API) for grades 2-11 and NCLB Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for grades 2-8. These two indices are used to measure the academic performance and growth of schools and districts.

The state produces a variety of reports for parents, teachers and schools with CST data. The STAR Student Report, which is mailed to parents and a copy kept at the school site, gives the students overall performance level for each subject, identifies strengths and needs in the content areas, the California Reading List number and for grades 3 and 7 national comparison results. This report is an excellent guide for the first parent/teacher conference in the fall.

The California Report for Teachers explains how a teacher’s group of students performed on the identified CST reporting clusters comparing them with the state, district and the state identified proficient range. The report informs teachers of the percentage of each subgroup at each performance level.

Summary Reports provide a snapshot for teachers and administrators of the number of students enrolled and number tested. The number and percentage of valid scores and students at each performance level are reported. The mean percent correct for the skill clusters are provided. These data are used to focus instruction for the next year. Teachers are given the strong areas and needs of all students and subgroups.