Stanford Achievement Test Series Information

Welcome to the Stanford Achievement Test Series Information blog. I hope you enjoy your stay and will find the information about Stanford Achievement Test that you need in this blog. There is one particular reason for starting this blog.

When I came to know that my daughter is going to have Stanford Achievement Test between April-May 2008 for her Kindergarten program, as I don’t have any clue on this test other than that it is a standardized battery test, so I decided to google it for finding more information on the test type, what will be accessed , how it will be graded etc. To my surprise I couldn’t find much information easily online in readily readable format.. I happen to dig-in more deeply to find the relevant information.. That’s when I thought I could blog on it and provide details on my findings so that people can save some time and guided properly..

All the following information is freely available online from various web sites/resources. In some cases I summarized the information by combining various sources in a more meaningful format and in other cases I provided information as it is from the source..

This is a personal blog with a sole purpose of providing information on Stanford Achievement Test Series.

The following information on the Stanford Achievement Test Series is current as of April 13^th 2008.

Stanford Achievement Test Series at a glance:

Purpose : Measure proficiency and progress & Guides teaching and learning toward high achievement standards.

Administration :Untimed with flexible guidelines.

Ages / Grades : Thirteen Levels - Kindergarten - Grade 12

Test Type: Multiple choice, short answer, and extended response achievement. Besides requiring a written answer of five or six sentences, the extended response may also require the student to graph, illustrate or show work.

Content: Comprehensive Academic Areas

Norms:

· Scaled Scores, National and Local Percentile Ranks, Grade Equivalents, and Normal Curve Equivalents

· Achievement/Ability Comparisons (AACs) with the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test®, Eighth Edition

Forms: Complete and abbreviated M-C battery by grade and subject

The following sections provide detailed information about the Stanford Achievement Test Series :

Introduction :

The Stanford Achievement Test Series is one of the leading standardized achievement tests utilized by school districts in the United States for assessing children from kindergarten through high school. This test series is a standardized battery of tests designed to measure school achievement from Kindergarten through Grade 12. The 13 test levels are divided into three groups: the Stanford Early School Achievement Test (SESAT) for students in kindergarten and first half of the first grade, the Stanford Achievement Test which extends from the second half of first grade through ninth grade, and the Stanford Test of Academic Skills (TASK) for grades 9-12 as well as beginning college students. The SESAT has sections that test the ability to read words and comprehend brief test passages, understand numbers and use them to do simple arithmetic, select correctly spelled words from several distractors, identify grammatical sentence components, demonstrate basic cultural knowledge, and listen effectively. Most items have three response options, and ten sittings are required to administer all of the subtests with sittings ranging from 25-45 minutes. The Stanford Achievement Test adds the content areas of science and social studies as well as an emphasis on research and study skills. If all sections are administered, twelve sittings ranging from 20-55 minutes are required. At this level, most items have four response options. The TASK level focuses on reading, grammar, math, science, social studies, study skills, and the ability to use information and think critically. The Pretest Workshop Kit is designed to help the test administrator conduct a teacher-training workshop, and the Norms Booklet, which is not a part of the EAC East collection, provides information on test development, reliability, validity, and a set of norms against which test scores may be compared when administrators choose to score tests in-house rather than returning them to the publisher. Tests may be scored by hand or by machine

Overview:

The standard of excellence in achievement testing for over 80 years, the Stanford Achievement Test Series now offers a state-of-the-art tenth edition to measure student progress toward high academic standards. The Stanford 10 (SAT 10) multiple-choice assessment will help educators find out what students know and are able to do. This technically excellent instrument provides the valid and reliable tool needed for objective measurement of achievement. Administrators will obtain reliable data to evaluate progress toward meeting the challenges set forth by the No Child Left Behind Act and national and state standards and high expectations. Teachers will identify and help children who are at risk of being left behind. Parents will understand what their children know and can do and how they can help.

The concepts and skills assessed by each level of Stanford 10 are those ordinarily taught during the second half of any given year and the first half of the following year. This midyear-to-midyear configuration provides for a more focused assessment of students tested in the spring of one grade and the fall of the next than could a single test level intended for use in both the fall and spring of the same school year. It also provides more opportunity to monitor academic growth when Stanford 10 is administered in the fall and the spring.

At the high school levels, where the TASK levels assess basic skills, a given level is appropriate for use in both the fall and spring of the same school year.

Features & Benefits

Exciting NEW Stanford 10 Features

• New Reports to Monitor Performance on Standards
• New Content Reflecting Current State and National Standards
• Full-Color, Motivating and Easy-To-Navigate Testing Materials
• Unique Answer Document organized by questions on a test page to help prevent students from losing their place
• Latest Norms (2002) Based on the K-12 Population
• Reports Simplified for Utility and Color Enhanced for Readability

CLASSIC Stanford 10 Features

• Technical Excellence — Valid and Reliable Information
• Thirteen Levels — Kindergarten - Grade 12
• Grade-Appropriate Content
• Easy-Hard-Easy Question Format — Items arranged to facilitate student engagement and test completion.
• Materials to Support Interpretation, Instruction, and Parent Communication
• Customization Options
• Achievement/Ability Comparisons with the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test®, Eighth Edition

Content

Reading

The Reading subtests reflect and support a balanced, developmental curriculum and sound instructional practices. At appropriate levels, the subtests measure phonemic awareness, decoding, phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension.

The Sounds and Letters subtest has an increased emphasis on phonemic awareness and phonics and closely reflects reading research findings. Word Study Skills and Sentence Reading are evaluated across a broader age range. Expanded testing of literacy development provides important information to make sure students are progressing all along the road to literacy.

The Reading Comprehension subtest measures students' comprehension within the framework of three types of materials or purposes for reading: literary, informational, and functional text. Within each type of text, questions measure achievement in four modes of comprehension: initial understanding, interpretation, critical analysis, and awareness and usage of reading strategies.

New and Classic Features

Exciting NEW Features:

• Aligns with New IRA/NCTE Standards and State Standards
• Provides Expanded Testing of Early Literacy with New Types of Questions to Better Assess Foundation Skills
• Tests Word Study Skills and Sentence Reading at Expanded Grade Ranges
• Continues Assessment of Phonics through Grade 4
• Emphasizes Literature Objectives and Includes More Opportunities to Show Reading Strategies
• Features More Poetry Selections and a More Multicultural Representation of Reading Selections

CLASSIC Features

• Utilizes Reading Selections Commissioned from Published Children's and Young People's Authors
• Aligns with the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
• Places an Emphasis on a Balanced Reading Curriculum that Includes, at Appropriate Grade Levels, Phonemic Awareness, Decoding, Phonics, Vocabulary, and Comprehension
• Includes Literary, Informational, and Functional Reading Selections
• Provides Lexile™ Measure to Identify Reading Levels and Customized Reading Lists
• Assesses Initial Understanding, Interpretation, Critical Analysis, and Reading Strategies

Lexile® Measure

The Lexile Framework® is a tool that allows teachers to match students to specific texts. It defines and sequences books and other reading materials in terms of difficulty and provides a way to link students’ reading achievement to that scale. Because Stanford 10 has been matched to The Lexile Framework, students who take the full-length Reading Comprehension subtest can receive a Lexile measure in addition to scores reported by type of text and reading process. This score identifies each student’s level of reading and provides a means to match students to appropriate reading materials.

Mathematics

Stanford 10 Mathematics subtests measure content and processes adapted from the new National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (PSSM) and state standards including number sense and operations; patterns, relationships, and algebra; geometry and measurement; and data, statistics, and probability. Questions assess processes in communication and representation; estimation; mathematical connections; and reasoning and problem solving.

Mathematics Problem Solving measures the skills and knowledge necessary to solve problems in mathematics. Mathematics Procedures measures the ability to apply the rules and methods of arithmetic to problems that require arithmetic solutions.

Exciting NEW Features

• Measures Content and Processes Based on New NCTMPrinciples and Standards for School Mathematics (PSSM) and State Standards
• Provides Consistency in Names of Content Clusters Across Levels to Enhance Test Interpretation

CLASSIC Features

• Aligns with the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
• Measures Mathematics Problem Solving and Mathematics Procedures

Language

The Stanford 10 Language subtest measures students’ achievement in applying the principles that form effective writing. From word- and sentence-level skills to whole composition features, the subtest engages students in real-life activities.

Stanford 10 offers a choice of Language subtests to suit different language arts instructional approaches.

The Traditional Language subtest (Form A) measures proficiency in mechanics and expression in three different sections. The first section measures language mechanics—capitalization, punctuation, and usage—with questions that resemble an actual editing task. Language expression is tested in the second section as students demonstrate their understanding of sentence structure. Language expression items in the third section include objectives typically assessed in the direct assessment of writing.

An alternate Comprehensive Language subtest (Form D) replicates the writing process as closely as possible in a testing situation. This subtest measures prewriting, composing, and editing in a holistic fashion that resembles authentic writing tasks.

Exciting NEW Features

• Aligns with the New IRA/NCTE Standards and State Standards
• Includes Questions to Test Strategies in Prewriting and Composing

CLASSIC Features

• Measures Prewriting, Composing, and Editing Stages of the Writing Process (Form D)
• Mirrors a Real Editing Situation with a Variety of Embedded Errors (Form A)
• Offers a Choice of Language Subtests

Traditional (Form A) —
Errors embedded in grade-appropriate sentences and paragraphs measure Language Expression and Language Mechanics objectives.

Comprehensive (Form D) —
The Comprehensive Language subtest is an integrated test that measures prewriting, composing, and editing in a holistic fashion that resembles authentic writing tasks.

Spelling

The separate Spelling subtest assesses objectives based upon the phonetic and structural principles taught at each grade level. Beginning at Primary 2, the spelling items reflect real-life editing tasks because they are presented in context rather than as isolated words.

Each spelling item consists of one sentence with three underlined words and, starting at Primary 3, a "No Mistake" option. Misspellings used reflect students' most common spelling errors.

Exciting NEW Features

• Offers a New Format with Realistic Spelling Errors Embedded in a Single Sentence

CLASSIC Features

• Tests Words in Context to Present a Realistic Task
• Reinforces the Authenticity of the Task with a “No Mistake” Option
• Reflects Common Errors Found in Students’ Writing

Listening

Stanford 10 assesses both listening vocabulary and listening comprehension. In the listening vocabulary section, students demonstrate recognition of the common meanings of spoken words encountered in various types of activities.

The listening comprehension section assesses listening comprehension with dictated selections and questions that reflect the listening materials students hear in school and outside of the classroom.

Listening comprehension also parallels the Reading Comprehension subtest. Using literary, informational, and functional materials, this section of the Listening subtest measures the same modes of comprehension: initial understanding, interpretation, and critical analysis and strategies.

Exciting NEW Features

• Provides a Wider Variety of Listening Selections
• Offers More Emphasis on Listening Strategies
• Includes a More Multicultural Representation of Listening Selections

CLASSIC Features

• Measures Listening Comprehension with Literary, Informational, and Functional Material
• Features Modes of Comprehension that Parallel the Reading Comprehension Subtest: Initial Understanding, Interpretation, and Critical Analysis and Strategies
• Includes Measures of Listening Vocabulary
• Reflects Real-Life Listening Tasks
• Encourages Note-Taking

Science

The disciplines of life science, Earth science, physical science, and the nature of science are represented in Stanford 10 with questions that elicit problem solving and inquiry using basic understanding of science.

Students must use reasoning skills throughout the test to reach answers. These skills include estimating, making simple calculations, seeking patterns, making observations, recognizing cause and effect, reading standard instruments, and drawing conclusions. Students are challenged to apply foundation concepts and skills as they think through questions.

At the SESAT 1 through Primary 2 levels, the Environment subtest combines science and social science to reflect young children’s experience with the natural and social world.

Exciting NEW Features

• Reflects Current Science Practice and Research
• Includes Questions Measuring the Nature of Science
• Aligns with State Standards

CLASSIC Features

• Aligns with the National Science Education Standards (National Research Council), the Benchmarks for Science Literacy (American Association for the Advancement of Science)

Social Science

The Social Science subtest measures the concepts important for the development of citizenship.

History, as assessed on Stanford 10, focuses on the history of the United States, the history of Western civilization, and the history of non-Western peoples and societies sharing our interdependent world. The National Standards for History were followed as guidelines

Geography is tested according to the five themes of location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, and region, as well as the Geography for Life: National Geography Standards.

The political science component assesses the basic understanding of the U.S. system of government as outlined in the National Standards for Civics and Government.

The Voluntary National Content Standards in economics provide the foundation for Stanford 10 economics items.

Exciting NEW Features

• Reflects Current Social Studies Standards, Practice, and Research
• Offers Greater Emphasis on Thinking Skills
• Gives Equal Attention to History, Geography, Political Science, and Economics
• Aligns with State Standards

CLASSIC Features

• Includes Cultural Elements Across the Social Science Subtest
• Aligns with the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Curriculum Standards for Social Studies, National Content Standards
• Reflects a balance between national and international issues

Scope & Sequence

Scoring & Reporting

Reporting Options

Stanford 10 Results Online
Stanford 10 Results Online gives you quick and flexible access to Stanford 10 data. This Web-based service enables you to immediately disaggregate your student data at the school or district level and to create customized reports for individual students.

ReadyGraphsPLUS®
ReadyGraphsPLUS® provides quick communication of Stanford 10 school/district test results. Educators can summarize Stanford 10 test results into professional-looking charts and graphs and show aggregate comparisons between schools (or districts) and the norm group over one or multiple years (i.e., longitudinal reporting).

Harcourt Lexile
Harcourt Lexile A Special Instructional Reading Tool for Stanford 10, Stanford Reading First, SDRT 4, and Aprenda 3 customers! With the Lexile measure, identify books that match a student's reading level.

Ready Results
With Ready Results, you can scan, score, and report locally. For more information, please call your local Educational Consultant or the Scoring Hotline at 800-328-5999.

More details can be found at :

• Harcourt Assessment, Stanford Achievement Test Series, Tenth Edition

• News release announcing Pearson's acquisition of Harcourt Assessment on January 30, 2008