The Willow Glen Resident

STAR sheds little light

By Mary Bergan

The results of the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program have served the worthwhile purpose of focusing greater attention on the need for improvements in California schools. The STAR test scores, however, represent only a fuzzy snapshot of education that should not be mistaken for the big picture.

The STAR test told us how kids performed on a given day compared to other kids in the country. The more important test will determine how kids perform to established standards. The second type of test tells students: "Here's what we expect of you, and here's how you measure up to expectations." Standards-based testing can answer a full range of questions not addressed by STAR. Are students learning what they are being taught? Are achievement scores satisfactory? What kinds of changes in method or content are necessary to meet high standards? The results of standards-based testing can pinpoint areas for improvement. In addition, districts, teachers, parents and students can track progress from one year to the next.

Teachers objected to the STAR test because it was an expensive effort that did not test kids on the actual curriculum in their classrooms. Without such test scores, students can't be accountable. Schools can't be held accountable either, unless we can measure whether kids are learning what they are being taught.

Unfortunately, no matter how much we analyze the STAR scores, we cannot compensate for the missing information. Any similarities between the content cannot compensate for the missing information. Any similarities between the content of the STAR multiple-choice questions and classroom curriculum in California were purely coincidental. That should not be the case with the type of tests we can look forward to next year. With the work of the governor's Commission on Academic Content and Performance Standards, the state Board of Education and the California Legislature has set in motion a comprehensive approach that can succeed. It's not a quick fix.

New standards will be incorporated into tests that will provide a foundation for progress and the tools to build upon it. High standards for both students and teachers can be achieved with the systematic implementation of curriculum changes and teacher training; acquisition of appropriate textbooks and other teaching materials; and development of support programs to help students make the transition to new standards.

While STAR test scores available in July are of no help to students, classroom assessments at the beginning of a school year can pinpoint the need for early intervention. Finally, a valid benchmark test will measure whether students are achieving goals for their grade levels. These scores will reveal more about the achievement of students; tell us which students and which schools need help; and suggest what kind of support will make a difference.

The process sounds like a tedious one because it is. It will require a mature attention span, a great deal of effort and ongoing commitment from the education community, Legislature and governor. To succeed, the commitment should include a willingness to forego the passing educational novelties and headline-grabbers that will distract from advancing new standards. Every proposed legislative innovation in education should be considered in the context of whether it furthers the goal of establishing higher standards. This will be the real test of our determination to give kids the education they need and deserve. To bring the big picture into focus, we need to keep our sights on the new standards, and keep the STAR scores in perspective.

Mary Bergan is president of the California Federation of Teachers and a vice president of the American Federation of Teachers.

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