All the information you will need
What do you like best?
Renaissance STAR assessments offer amazing reports. Any information you need, whether you are a classroom teacher, specialist, or Admin, is available in at least one of the reports. They relate to CCSS, show learning targets and grade levels needed, time taken to complete the assessment, how they compare to others, and more.
The test is built in a great way for the students. Average time needed to accurately complete the exam is 15-20 minutes so test fatigue is combated. The test grows with the student, adjusting as needed.
What do you dislike?
One thing I would adjust with the STAR assessment is the starting point. The next time a student takes the assessment it starts off at about the same place they finished - and that can be difficult for students. An example of this is a 4th grade student that took the math test scoring at an 8th grade level. They ended their assessment with square root problems they did not understand. The next test window, the student starts out with square root problems - after incorrectly answering some then it gets easier for them. This can cause some frustration for the student, especially if their score goes down.
Recommendations to others considering the product:
STAR Assessments are a wonderful resource - the reports offer usable information and the assessment itself is easy for the student to navigate.
What problems are you solving with the product? What benefits have you realized?
Renaissance STAR Assessments have really benefited our small group instruction. We are able to look not only at the STAR score, but also the instructional planning report to see where students weaknesses are and group them appropriately.
