Renaissance Star Early Literacy and Renaissance Star Reading are approved as Diagnostic Assessments, also known as screeners, by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). Ohio educators can use these assessments to determine if K-3 students are on track or not on track for reading at grade level.The Star Reading Third Grade Proficiency Assessment is also approved by the ODE. This test is an alternative reading assessment that enables students to "demonstrate an acceptable level of reading performance for promotion to fourth grade." The full report is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R63538>.

This case study details the reading achievement growth the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) attributes to the district's use of Accelerated Reader. Since districtwide implementation of Accelerated Reader in Cleveland during the 2008-09 school year, the percent of students scoring Proficient on the Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAA) has been on the rise, and a closer look at the data shows students who used Accelerated Reader saw their scaled score points improve an average of 0.13 points for every book read, 0.57 points for every additional minute of daily engaged reading time (ERT), and 0.66 points for every additional average percent correct (APC). Also included are powerful quotes from the educators using Accelerated Reader. REPORTING EDUCATOR: Eric Gordon, Chief Academic Officer. The report is available online: <https://docs.renaissance.com/R45891>.

DETAILS: Location: AL, TX, OK, KS, NV, NC, OH, and PA; Design: Independent, assessment research; Sample: Staff from 12 schools in 8 states; Measures: Direct costs, opportunity costs. RESULTS: Christensen Associates conducted a study to determine the true costs associated with widely used early literacy, reading, and mathematics assessments: Star Early Literacy, Star Reading, Star Math, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), Wireless Generation mCLASS DIBELS, AIMSweb, and the Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI). The researchers interviewed staff from 12 schools in 8 states to calculate the average costs of using the tests. Two types of costs were measured: direct costs (the price of testing materials, licensing fees, and/or fees for access to scoring and reporting services), and opportunity costs (time to administer, score, and report results; time that could be spent on instruction if testing was not taking place). The results confirmed, both in terms of direct costs and opportunity costs, that Star Early Literacy, Star Reading, and Star Math, computer-adaptive assessments, are much more cost effective than DIBELS, other assessments; ranging from approximately one-half the cost of AIMSweb and about one-sixth the cost of paper TPRI. AUTHOR: Laurits R. Christensen Associates.Email research@renaissance.com to request a copy of this study or summary from the Renaissance Research Department.