Nebraska -- Statewide Assessment Program: STARS (continued)

2006-2007 Reading and Mathematics – Grades 3-8, 11

Statewide Writing Assessment – Grades 4, 8, 11

Social Studies – Local Reporting – Grades 5, 8, 11

How is assessment conducted in Nebraska school districts?

Nebraska school districts are required to assess rigorous content standards locally according to the schedule outlined above. School districts may use a combination of assessments to measure the standards. The assessments include norm-referenced tests, criterion-referenced assessments, or locally developed classroom assessments. Regardless of the assessments selected, school districts must document that their assessments meet the Six Quality Assessment Criteria that have been established for the state of Nebraska. The process to assure quality assessment is described in the next section.

By June 30th of each year, school districts are required to report their student results on the content standards. A secured electronic website is provided for reporting. Districts report their student results in four levels of achievement: advanced, proficient, progressing, and beginning. Districts are required to complete reports that include all of the students assessed including students with disabilities and students learning the English language. Any student not included in each of the reporting forms must be reported as “Not Assessed/Not Included in Reporting.”

After the student achievement has been reported and calculated at the state level, state-wide mastery levels are established for student performance. These mastery level determinations are facilitated by the Buros Center for Testing using the expertise of panels of Nebraska educators from throughout the state. The mastery levels are determined in order to correspond to the student performance ratings that school districts receive. The five rating classifications are as follows: Exemplary, Very Good,

Good, Needs Improvement, and Unacceptable. School districts receive a student performance rating for each of the grade levels assessed and reported.

How is the quality of the local assessment determined?

The assessment used in each Nebraska school district to measure student achievement on standards must be of high quality. By June 30th of each year, all Nebraska school districts submitted a District Assessment Portfolio of the assessment practices and procedures used for measuring students on standards. In the portfolio, school districts are also required to include a sample of the actual assessment instruments. This sample has been generated randomly and assigned to the school districts.

The portfolios are reviewed and evaluated by assessment experts with experience and credentials. These reviewers are from within Nebraska and from out of the state. The assessment evaluators determine whether or not the school district assessment practices and procedures meet the Six Quality Assessment Criteria which were established by the Nebraska Department of Education with the assistance of the Buros Center for Testing. The Criteria are listed and described below. The assessments used in each Nebraska school district must: