BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 476
AUTHOR: Torlakson
AMENDED: June 30, 2009
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: July 8, 2009
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT: James Wilson
SUBJECT : Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction
(SPI) to contract for an independent evaluation of the
Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program,
including the standards aligned tests administered in
grades 2 - 11, and report findings of the evaluation to the
Governor and Legislature by November 2010.
BACKGROUND
The STAR Program, initially authorized in 1997, requires
testing of students in grades 2 through 11, including
English language arts and mathematics at most grade levels,
and science and history/social science at specified grade
levels. In 2003, the California Standards Tests (CST)
replaced a nationally published "off the shelf" test as the
primary battery of STAR tests. The California Standards
Tests are written specifically to test California's content
standards. The STAR Program is currently scheduled to
sunset in July 2011.
Results for STAR tests are reported for the individual
pupil, but no accountability attaches to these individual
results; the state and federal accountability systems are
primarily based on the aggregated STAR test scores from all
pupils in a school or school district. Many elements of the
STAR Program are used by California to meet the assessment
and accountability requirements of the federal No Child
Left Behind (NCLB) Act, which requires standards-aligned
achievement testing in reading and mathematics to all
students in grades 3-8 and grade 10; and also requires
science testing in grades 5, 8, and 10.
AB 476
Page 2
ANALYSIS
This bill:
1) Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction
(SPI) to contract, by April 1, 2010, for an
independent evaluation of the Standardized Testing and
Reporting (STAR) Program, including independent
evaluation or analysis of the following:
a) Alignment between the assessment used to
calculate adequate yearly progress (AYP) or
academic performance index (API) and the content
standards on which the assessment is based.
b) Alignment between the STAR assessments and
the full range of the content standards and a
determination of whether the STAR Program
assesses pupil knowledge in the same manner and
at the same level of complexity as expected in
the content standards.
c) Grade level continuity and vertical
alignment of standards-aligned test content, and
the ability of the tests to produce scores for an
individual pupil that can be validly compared
from year to year.
d) Pupil performance by test, grade level, race
or ethnicity.
e) The degree to which the STAR Program
complies with professional testing standards and
satisfies state and federal testing requirements
for each grade level.
f) The usefulness of STAR tests for program
evaluations, pupil-level information and
diagnostic assessment for classroom use.
g) The feasibility and cost of the development
and administration of a diagnostic alternative
test in grade levels and content standard areas
that are not required be tested under federal
law.
AB 476
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2) Requires that the evaluation separately consider test
results for English learners, special education
pupils, pupils in poverty, and any group of pupils
that is determined to be differently affected by STAR
tests.
3) Requires the evaluator to include recommendations:
a) To improve the quality, fairness, validity,
and reliability of the tests.
b) For revisions in design, administration,
scoring, processing, or use of the tests to
ensure compliance with state and federal
requirements.
c) For revisions to improve grade level
continuity and vertical alignment of test
content and the ability of the tests to produce
scores for an individual pupil that can be
validly compared from year to year.
d) For revisions to improve integration of
content standards in core curriculum areas and
improve the usefulness of the test to state and
local educational agencies, as well as, schools,
teachers, pupils, and parents.
e) For revisions that would allow the STAR
Program to provide pupil-level diagnostic
information and to provide a diagnostic
assessment for classroom use.
4) Requires the SPI to provide the evaluation to the
Legislature, the Governor, and the State Board of
Education by November 1, 2010.
5) Requires the SPI's advisory committee on API matters
to advise the SPI on the independent evaluation, as
specified, and requires the SPI to add four
individuals having expertise in large-scale assessment
to the advisory committee for this purpose only.
6) Requires the SPI to use $150,000 of specified federal
funds for the purpose of the contracted evaluation.
AB 476
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STAFF COMMENTS
1) Related and previous legislation : SB 800 (Hancock),
pending in the Senate Education Committee,
eliminates grade 2 STAR testing and makes
conforming changes to dates by which related sections
of law become inoperative and are repealed.
SB 1448 (Alpert), Chapter 233, Statutes of 2004,
reauthorizes the STAR Programs SB 376 (Alpert),
Chapter 828, Statutes of 1997, establishes the STAR
Program and authorizes testing in grades 2 through 11.
2) Fiscal impact. According to the Assembly
Appropriations Committee, the 2009 Budget
Act allocates $55.4 million for STAR testing including
$50 million from the state General Fund, and $5.4
million of federal funds. This bill would use
$150,000 of one-time federal Title VI Flexibility and
Accountability funds under the No Child Left Behind
Act to contract with an independent evaluator.
SUPPORT
Association of California School Administrators
Business for Science, Math and Related Technologies
Education
California Alliance for Arts Education
California Teachers Association
Small School Districts' Association
California Science Teachers Association
OPPOSITION
None received.