iStar Assessment
Topics covered on this page:
- Adding students to your iStar assessment list
- Removing a Student from your iStar list
- Give iStar access to another teacher
- Using the Edit Screen
- Assessment
- Paper Forms
- Printing Reports
- How can I check when I am done?
Adding students to your iStar assessment list
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Login at the iStart 7 website to get to your teacher dashboard (How do I do that?)
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From your iStart 7 IEP list, click the Student Records icon:
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Click the List Manager.
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Check the box to add the student to your iStar list. If the student is a preschooler, or SNAP. your choice will be IStar KR. -
Now you need to select the Purpose for iStar. If the student is in grades K-2 or above grade 8, you will select Supplemental Assessment. All students in grades 3-8 will select the first option.
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This places the student onto either the iStar Assessment, iStar Supplemental, or IStar KR list under My Caseload (on the right side of your screen)
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After you select the Purpose for the assessment, you will be asked to select the student's disability area and give the level of cognitive funtioning.
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Cognitive functioning is measured by an intelligence test (use Full Scale or Composite Score) These scores are measured by one of the following tests:
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Bayley Scales of Infant Development
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Differential Ability Scale (DAS)
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Leiter International Performance Test
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Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale IV or V (SB:IV or SB:V)
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Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT)
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Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WIAS-III)
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Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III or IV (WISC-III or WISC-IV)
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Woodcock-Johnson Cognitive
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Standard Deviations: Most tests have a standard deviation of 15 standard points. For most tests, the following indicates scores for 1, 2, 3 and 4 standard deviations below the mean (average).
St. Dev.
SS
1
70-85
Borderline/Low Average
2
54-69
Mild MH
3
38-53
Moderate MH
4
<37
Severe MH
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Next, select the criteria for using the iStar assessment in EACH academic area. Note that there is a tab for Math, Language arts and possibly Science and Social Studies, depending on the age of the student. NOTE: If the student is iStar Supplemental, you will not have this choice.
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If you feel the student will have any employability as an adult, even in a sheltered situation with maximum assistance, check the option for academic competance.
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If you feel the student will need total care 24/7 with minmal independence for the rest of their life, select the option for independent functioning. This option will be reserved for a very small percentage of our Life Skills population.
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You should check all of the boxes under the assessments to complete all assessment areas. (iStar KR will have diffferent options here)
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Now click on iStar assessment or iStar Supplemental under My Caseload. You should see your list of students for the iStar assessment under the cor rect category.
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Removing a student from the iStar list.
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Go to your iStart 7 IEP list, and click the Student Records icon:
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Uncheck the iStar option to remove the student from your iStar list.
Giving iStar access to another teacher
If you are Teacher of Record for a student, but you do not know the student well enough to administer iStar, or you share instruction with another teacher, you may give access for the administration of iStar. The student will remain on your TOR list, and you will still be responsible for making sure iStar is completed.
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From your iStar student lis, click the Security icon:
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To add another teacher, click Add Item.
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Enter the last name of the teacher you want to give access to, and click the little magnifying glass. Then select the teacher's name when it appears.
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Click Save. (Remember, you must click on the teacher's name, even if only one name is found.) If you do not see a Save buttion, it is generally because you have not selected the teacher's name.
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Now check the iStar box to give access to the iStar testing. (You may want to select Progress on Goals also, if this teacher will also have input into the student's quarterly reporting on goals.
When you are finished, click Finish, or Add Item to add a third teacher to the list. The student will now appear on the iStar classlist of the other teacher(s).
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Click on the appropriate list (iStar Assessment, iStar Supplemental or iStar KR) to view your list of students. (Note: some teachers may have
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Click the iStar icon
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The first time you assess the student, you will need to create a new assessment:
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After the assessment is created, you will see the Assesment Map that will let you select an area of the assessment to complete. If you do not see all the areas to assess, you will need to follow these steps:
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Exit the Assessment
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Click the Student Records icon
and type a reason in the box. -
Click on List Manager.
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Scroll down the screen and select the additional areas to assess.
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When you are done, go back to the iStar Assessment List and click the iStar icon again.
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Student assessed with ISTAR KR will be assessed in Mathematics, Language Arts, Personal, Physical and Social Emotional.
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Student assessed with ISTAR Alternate Assessment will be assessed in the areas of
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Math, Language Arts, Science and Social Studies (if applicable). The functional areas of
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physical skills, personal care skills, domestic care skills, responsibility, interpersonal
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skills, problem solving skills, and community access skills will all be independently optional.
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Students can be assessed with ISTAR Supplemental in Mathematics, Language Arts
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and/or any of the functional areas of physical skills, personal care skills, domestic care
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skills, responsibility, interpersonal skills, problem solving skills, and community access
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skills.
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Click on one of the areas to assess (i.e. Math). Each area is made up of Core Standards and
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Performance Threads. Each thread is defined in rubric items of progressive criteria. The skills are listed sequentially. You should read the whole thread to decide the student's highest level of achievement.
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If you are not sure, you can click the little info icon:
This will bring up a box with the skills broken down into subskills to
help you decide which is the most appropriate level for each thread. 
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When you find the correct level for the student, click on the skill, and the box will turn darker gray. The radio button in the box will confirm your choice. Move through each thread for each of the core standards on the screen, clicking the skill for the highest level of achievement for each one.
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At the end of each thread, there are two small icons
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This little icon will let you complete the second level assessment for
each thread. When you click it, you will be presented with a breakdown
of skills to assess:
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If you mouse over the blue legend bar, or over each of the numbers in the column headers, you can see the explanation for each of the ratings.
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You can also add a note to each of your ratings to give more information. Click the little note symbol
to bring up the notes box.
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When you are done, you will see little green dots, including the date, in each of your selections. If you change your selection, the date remains, to give you a history of previous ratings for each skill.
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Make sure to click the Save button, and then Exit to go back to the Assessment Selection screen. As you complete each section, the Assessment will turn green to show your progress.
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When
all areas are complete, you will be asked if you want to finalize the
assessment. You can wait if you still want to reconsider some areas, or
if you want others to be included in the assessment. Otherwise, click
Finalize to complete the assessment. -
For iStar KR, you will need to select a reason for finalizing. The first option is ONLY for the Entry assessment. If the student had been assessed in the previous ISTAR assessment, the teacher should choose, Finalize as an interim assessment or if the student is exiting the preschool program, choose the last choice.
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Paper Forms
The iStar Core Standards and Performance Threads are available in paper format for you to print out. You can give these forms to other teachers, to parents, to paraprofessionals, and any others from whom you would like to receive input. They can circle their choices on the matrix and return it to you, so you can incorporate their responses with your own.
- ISTAR KR Summary Report
- ISTAR KR Language Arts
- ISTAR KR Math
- ISTAR KR Personal Care
- ISTAR KR Physical
- ISTAR KR Social Emotional
- ISTAR 3-5 Language Arts and Math Assessment Matrix
- ISTAR 6-8 Language Arts and Math Assessment Matrix
- ISTAR 10 Language Arts and Math Assessment Matrix
- ISTAR Functional and Employability Assessment Matrix
- Grade 4 Science Assessment Matrix
- Grade 5 Social Studies Assessment Matrix
- Grade 6 Science Assessment Matrix
- Grade 7 Social Studies Assessment Matrix
Printing Reports
Information on printing reports from the new iStar coming soon.
How can I check when I am done?
You can check your progress on iStar from your dashboard. Click on the Compliance and Monitoring Tab.
You will see a pie chart showing the percentage of students completed.
