About the California STAR Program

The California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program measures how well the California education system and its students are performing.

These tests measure student achievement in:

• Mathematics
• English–language Arts
• Science
• History-social science

Purposes for Testing

Teachers, parents and education officials can use the results to identify strengths and weaknesses in order to improve student learning. Students and their parents can compare individual academic abilities against grade-level requirements and the results of other students in that grade.

The goal in California is to have all students perform at the proficient or advanced level.

Who Takes the STAR?

Each spring, California public school students in grades two through eleven take a STAR test developed by grade and subject, unless a parent or guardian submits a written request exempting them.

Test takers include students with disabilities (doc) and students whose first language is not English.

State law requires all Spanish-speaking English learners to also take the Standards-based Tests in Spanish (STS).

STAR Program Tests

The STAR Program includes four tests. Students take the test that's right for their age and individual needs. The tests include:

• The California Standards Tests (CSTs) are for California public schools and are aligned to the state content standards. All students in grades two through eleven take the CSTs for the subjects listed for their grade.
• The California Modified Assessment (CMA) is a grade-level assessment for students with disabilities in California public schools who meet the state criteria.
• The California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA) is for California public school students who have significant cognitive disabilities and cannot take the CSTs even with accommodations or modifications.
• The Standards-based Tests in Spanish (STS) have been developed for Spanish-speaking English learners in California public schools. These tests measure the achievement of state content standards in reading/language arts and mathematics in Spanish.

For more information about these tests, including when tests are taken, visit the California Department of Education website.

Statements of Performance on the CST

The California Board of Education determined the performance levels as:

• Advanced — This category represents a superior performance. Students demonstrate a comprehensive and complex understanding of the knowledge and skills measured by this assessment, at this grade, in this content area.
• Proficient — This category represents a solid performance. Students demonstrate a competent and adequate understanding of the knowledge and skills measured by this assessment, at this grade, in this content area.
• Basic — This category represents a limited performance. Students demonstrate a partial and rudimentary understanding of the knowledge and skills measured by this assessment, at this grade, in this content area.
• Far Below/Below Basic — This category represents a serious lack of performance. Students demonstrate little or flawed understanding of the knowledge and skills measured by this assessment, at this grade, in this content area.

The goal in California is to have all students perform at the proficient or advanced level.