PRPS STAR Users Guide

PRPS STAR Users Guide

Installing STAR *

Access Levels and Passwords *

Administrator access *

Administrator password *

Adding Students *

Manually *

Exporting Student Information from Aeries and Importing to STAR *

Importing Into STAR during the School year *

Exporting Student Information during the School year *

School Year, Marking Periods *

School Year *

Marking Periods *

Student Test Registration *

Student Preparation and Student Behavior *

Data Doctor *

Backing up or Saving your data *

Year-end Checklist *

Beginning of New School Year *

Promoting Students *

Go to STAR Reading Management *

Frequently Asked Questions *

Installing STAR
Network installation

Follow the directions in the installation guide.

Make sure you point the data location in Preferences to the proper network volume location. (If you don’t know where this is call Carl Behmer, ext. 8-362 x209).

Access Levels and Passwords
Administrator access

To insure the security and integrity of the data, Administrator access will be limited to the following people:

Site Reading Renaissance (RR) Coordinator
Site Reading Specialist (if applicable)
Pertinent Technology Group Staff
District RR Coordinator (Kelly Roth)

All other classes will have Classroom access only.

Enable Historical data, see STAR manual page 7-9 for an explanation on Historical Data.

Adding Students

Manually

See page 3-3 in STAR manual.

For the ID field use the students Permanent Identification Number from Aeries.
Use the student number from Aeries for Password.
Use student’s LEGAL name from Aeries.

Exporting Student Information from Aeries and Importing to STAR

Beginning of each School Year please do the following:

Unenroll

You must unenroll ALL students from each of your Renaissance products.

Go to Classes

Select 1^st student

Hold Shift key down

Scroll to last student and select

All students should be highlighted

Select Unenroll

Problems?

If it says some students are locked

You will need to unlock them

Go to Students

Select Students on the menu bar

Select Clear all locks

<Picture Omitted>

Promote

You will only do this once, not in every Renaissance product

Go to Student

Select all students (follow directions under unenroll)

Select Student from the menu bar

Select Promote

Delete 6^th (Elementary) or 8^th (Middle) graders

You will only do this once, not in every Renaissance product

Go to Student

Select Grade

Students should now be in grade order

Select the 1^st 6^th/8^th grader

Hold down the shift key

Select the last 6^th/8^th grader

Press Delete

Export Student Data

This will need to be done in EACH Renaissance product

Go to Student

Select Student on the menu bar

Put disk in drive

Select Export

Select All (or group to export)

All students should be highlighted

Select Next

Select Students with all…2.0 tests

Press Finish

In the Save as dialog box

Select the A drive (or where you floppy is)

File name is STARREAD.EXP

Select Save

Aeries Export

Give Query to School Secretary with a disk

For Elementary Schools use the following query

LIST TCH STU LN FN MN ID BD SN GR SX EC "CHAR" IF STU.ED

For Middle Schools use the following query

LIST STU SEC MST CRS TCH STU.LN STU.FN STU.MN STU.ID STU.BD STU.SN STU.GR STU.SX STU.EC "CHAR" TCH.TE MST.PD BY MST.PD TCH.TE STU.LN STU.FN IF STU.ED > 08/27/01 AND MST.PD = 1 OR MST.PD = 2

Save export to a disk

Data Manipulation

Open Edit Pad Lite

Open STAR_Import_Header.txt found on your floppy disk

@LNAME,FNAME,X,ID,BIRTHDAY,PASSWORD,GRADE,GENDER,X,X,X

Open Your Query Student data (school name)

Select the students in one class

Look for teacher name at end of line

Select 1^st student

Hold down the Shift key

Scroll down to last student in that class

Select through end of last student

Copy

Select STAR Import Header Tab

Go to end of header and press Enter

Paste on this line

Save As

Save in: A drive or your floppy

File name: Teacher name

Close file

Repeat process for each class

Import "New" Student Data

Make sure you have added your classes in the Renaissance program

Open STAR Management

Select Student

Select Student on the menu bar

Put disk in drive

Select Import

Select drive A (or your file...)

In files of type: Select All files

Select the first class (teacher name)

Press Open

Make sure all students are highlighted

Press Next

Press Select a class … enroll the student

Press Next

Select the appropriate class

Press Next

Press Finish

Repeat this process for each class

Duplicate Student Wizard

Review information

Press Next

Select Combine…and for any …students

Press Finish

Delete Students not at your school

These students will be in a generic class

Importing Into STAR during the School year

Sneaker net the downloaded disk to computer(s) to import information to.

Open STAR Management
Make sure you have already add all classes. see page 4.2 in STAR Reading Manual.
Select School

Select Student

Put disk in your disk drive.
Select Student

Select Import

Follow direction in STAR.
When asked if you want to enroll be sure to select yes enroll this student and all other students I add at this time

Select enroll the students in an existing class

Select the class
Finish

Exporting Student Information during the School year

Should a student leave your school to attend another school in our district, export their records and send to the Site RR Coordinator at the new school.

Follow the directions in the STAR manual page 3-20.

If you are on a Macintosh format, use PC Exchange and a PC disk. This way schools that have PC format will be able to import information.
New school’s Site RR Coordinator will send a confirmation to old school after successfully importing student records.
Do not delete student’s records until you have received confirmation from new school that they have successfully imported student’s records.
If you are out of Student Capacity and have not received confirmation from the new school, unenroll the student(s) that have left the school. Their records will remain intact and this will allow you additional student capacity.

School Year, Marking Periods

* set these before any testing...

School Year

Use first student day and last student day.

Be sure to include Summer School in your last student day.

Marking Periods

These will be set by Dr. Hoskins and given to you at the beginning of the new school year.

There are 3 Marking Periods set by the school's Reading Specialist. This is when you will STAR test your students. Contact Shauna Udell, ext 401 or Kelly Roth if you do not have the Marking Period information.

You may add one Marking Period at the beginning of the new school year.

Do not add any additional Marking Periods or change the Marking Periods.

Label the Marking Periods as follows:

Beginning, 1^st Marking Period, 2^nd Marking Period, 3^rd Marking Period, Summer School.

Student Test Registration

Using this Preference allows staff to use the Registration report and Registration management screen. This will aide in picking up testing on students who where absent on the scheduled testing day. (see STAR manual page 7-20)

Student Preparation and Student Behavior

It is imperative that students be prepared before taking the test. Whether testing in a computer lab environment, library, classroom or other space provided, please follow these guidelines:

Talk to students about the importance of the test.
Require excellent behavior, no talking, no toys etc.
Have each student take a book to read once the test is completed.

Students may not play a game on the computer or go outside after completing the test. This is distracting to the other students and may cause them to rush. Reading at their seat is the only acceptable activity.

Be on time, your class may need to be rescheduled if you are late.
Instruct students to sit down at the computer and to not touch anything until they are given directions.
If a student starts prematurely you may abort the test by pressing Ctrl + A.

Aborted tests will not appear in your reports, and data from these tests is not used to calculate test scores.

Once students are seated at the computers;

Remind them to use the keyboard for their answers.

Tell them that the test is timed. Remind them that each question is timed and a clock will appear to let them know when they are almost out of time for that question.

Remind them to do their best.

Remind them of what to do upon completing the test.

Do the practice questions with the student or group of students.

Students who misbehave should have a consequence.

Data Doctor

Run the Data Doctor *at least* once every marking period to keep your STAR Reading software running efficiently. (see STAR manual page 9-2). This should be done either before or after your marking period testing, not during. Be sure to have your STAR data saved in another location, like a zip disk, before running the Data Doctor.

Data Doctor Password

Make this the same as your Administrator password.

Backing up or Saving your data

It is recommended that you back up to a zip drive, flash drive, or burn to a CD. Make sure the data backup is kept in a safe and secure location.

Year-end Checklist

Back up data to zip disk, flash drive, or burn to a CD. Make sure the data backup is kept in a safe and secure location.
Run Data Doctor.
Elementary Schools need to create an export file of your 5^th grade students to send to appropriate Middle School.

Export disk should be sent to the Site Reading Specialist.

Do not delete students until you have received confirmation from the new school.

Middle Schools need to create an export file of your 8^th grade students to send to the High School.

Do not delete students until the beginning of the new school year.

Beginning of New School Year

Set school year and marking periods.
Promote students.

Elementary school should promote 5^th graders, but do not delete until you have received confirmation from the Middle School.

Request data on any transferred students from previous school.
Import any transferred student data.

Import regular school year data first and summer school data second.

Unenroll all students from previous class.
Update Teacher and class information as needed.
Enroll students in new classes.
Delete students who have left your school once you have received confirmation from new school.

Promoting Students

Go to STAR Reading Management

Go to School

Select the Students menu at the top
Select Promote

Follow the Student Promotion Wizard

Frequently Asked Questions

When do I test my students?

The beginning of the school year (optional).

The 3 defined Marking Periods.

The end of Summer School if appropriate (optional).

I received a new student during the school year, may I test them?

Yes, as long as it is at least 3 weeks prior to a Marking Period.

One or two of my students did not perform as expected, may I retest them?

To insure the validity and integrity of the test, students may only test during the assigned Marking Periods. If you question the test results, you may use other tests such as Burns and Rowe.

When interpreting the results of any test instrument, it is important to remember that the scores represent estimates of a student’s true ability level. Test scores are not absolute or exact measures of performance. Nor is a single test score infallible in the information that it provides. Other factors, such as student motivation and the testing environment may come into play here.

How many times a year does the program allow students to test?

5 times. Any more than this invalidates the results.