STANDARDIZED TESTING AND REPORTING (STAR)
The California Department of Education requires all ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade students
enrolled in a California public high school to participate in STAR testing. The testing includes
a series of California Standards Tests (CSTs) aligned to course content standards and a nationally
norm-referenced test (NRT). There are approximately 400 multiple choice questions on the
combined tests. The tests are given during a two-week testing window in the spring semester
and the total testing time is approximately 12 hours.
California Standards Tests include:
Language Arts
Mathematics
History-Social Science (tenth and eleventh only)
Science
NRT = California Achievement Test, Sixth Edition Survey (CAT/6) includes:
Reading/Language
Mathematics
Science
These tests are used to:
• Meet reclassification requirements for English Language Learner students
• Determine the need for additional support/intervention classes
• Establish the pre-requisite for classes requiring teacher recommendation
• Qualify for scholarships and/or awards
• Determine the school’s Academic Performance Index (API)
• Determine whether the school meets Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)