Subject: Math
Grade Level(s): 2 – 11
Measures Growth: No
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The California Standards Test is part of the STAR Program, administered each spring to all California students. The CST measures student achievement in math in all grades from 2-11, using multiple-choice questions.
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking • Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level • Takes students too long to complete
Cons: Difficult to administer • Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • It is hard to use the data • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
I have had enough of teaching for the test.
Submitted by Roylene in California on May 11, 2013
Cons: Not aligned to the standards I teach • Does not assess higher-order thinking • Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • It is hard to use the data • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
Does not provide any helpful data that help you differentiate your lessons to focus on individual student needs. Unable to determine strengths or weaknesses of students. Cannot analyze protocol to determine student error patterns /confusion. Not helpful for Special education students IEP or needed instruction. Does not align with student's IEP. Not formative, meaningful or helpful. I suspect the CCSS assessments will remain the same.
Submitted by Debbie in California on May 11, 2013
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach • Takes students a reasonable amount of time to complete
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking • Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level
Pros: Easy to administer • Data is presented clearly
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
We administer the CST's during the spring and receive scores four months later in the fall. The teacher who worked with the student often never sees the parent or the child to have a meaningful conversation about the child's progress.
Submitted by Sheila in California on April 24, 2013
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach • Takes students a reasonable amount of time to complete
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking • Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level
Pros: Easy to administer • Data is presented clearly
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
Test just encourages teaching to the test. Students can just guess and get a good score.
Submitted by Rodrigo in California on April 18, 2013
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking • Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level • Takes students too long to complete
Pros: Data is presented clearly
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
Even the CMA version is not designed to address the wide range of instructional levels found in students with exceptional needs.
Submitted by Debra in California on April 18, 2013
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach • Assesses a range of students, including those from far below to far above grade level
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking
Pros: Easy to administer • Data is presented clearly
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
There is no buy-in for students. Therefore, many students do not give their maximum effort on this assessment.
Submitted by Kelly in California on April 16, 2013
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking • Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level
Pros: Easy to administer
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • It is hard to use the data • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
We give the CSTs in April or early May. We don't get the results until late August. The test has little value for students since we receive the grades too late to be automatically factored into their grades. Although the data allows me to compare my students' performance to those of my colleagues both at my site and around the state, I can't use that data to help the students who were tested - they have already moved on to another teacher and another course.
Because the CSTs are a key component in our school and district API and AYP, we are encouraged to focus on key standards, to model our assessments through the year on the CST released questions and to review intensively before the exams. Our scores are improving... but is that because we are doing a better job teaching our subject, or a better job teaching the test?
Submitted by Katia in California on April 16, 2013
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach • Assesses higher-order thinking • Takes students a reasonable amount of time to complete
Cons: Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level
Pros: Easy to administer
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • It is hard to use the data • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
The CST Math test does not consider the influence of socioeconomic influences and home conditions.
Submitted by Selene in California on April 14, 2013
Cons: Not aligned to the standards I teach • Does not assess higher-order thinking • Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level • Takes students too long to complete
Cons: Difficult to administer • Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • It is hard to use the data • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
A lot of second graders can read well. A lot of them find reading directions easier than listening and remembering the instructions verbally presented. Is the test a test of listening skills or is it a test of math?
Submitted by Jennifer in California on April 13, 2013
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach • Takes students a reasonable amount of time to complete
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking • Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level
Pros: Data is presented clearly
Cons: Difficult to administer • Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
Does not assess critical thinking skills.
Submitted by Joycelyn in California on April 11, 2013
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach • Assesses higher-order thinking
Cons: Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level • Takes students too long to complete
Pros: Easy to administer
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • It is hard to use the data • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
One of the biggest problems with this test is that it is very difficult for English language learners. Many questions are written in a way as to trick the reader. Students are tested as if they had time to truly understand the material whereas the truth is the pacing does not allow for in depth teaching. The result is that teachers are instructed to teach to the test versus teach for understanding.
Submitted by Laurie in California on April 11, 2013
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking • Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level • Takes students too long to complete
Pros: Results returned quickly • Helps me track my students' learning gains over the course of the school year
Cons: Difficult to administer • It is hard to use the data • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
If our students are given time to absorb and comprehend the standards they are learning, then this test may be useful. However, when students cannot grasp concepts until there is exposure, guidance, and then some proof of mastery, the assessment becomes a rather huge waste of time.
Submitted by becca in California on April 10, 2013
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking • Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level • Takes students too long to complete
Pros: Easy to administer
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • It is hard to use the data • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
The math CST (as well as ALL CSTs) is meaningless to the students. Most of them do not attempt to do their best because the test is too long. They know it will not affect they're grade or their future class placement, so they often do nothing but bubble in cute patterns on the answer document. No wonder the overall scores look poor. They are not an accurate representation of the students' abilities.
Also, the test takes an inordinate amount of time to be scored and for results to be returned to us. We administer the test in April, but often do not receive the results until October or November, well into the following school year. This makes the test worthless for class placement because it's already been done.
The total time consumed administering the CSTs would be MUCH better used as additional instructional minutes, instead of wasting virtually an entire week of classtime on a meaningless assessment.
Submitted by Michael in California on April 10, 2013
Pros: Takes students a reasonable amount of time to complete
Cons: Not aligned to the standards I teach • Does not assess higher-order thinking • Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level
Pros: Easy to administer • Data is presented clearly
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
I am at a title one school and with NCLB and RTTT my entire year revolves around the state test. I used to be able to use it to guide instruction but now it's all about test taking skills instead of learning.
Submitted by Ann in California on April 9, 2013
Cons: Not aligned to the standards I teach • Does not assess higher-order thinking
Cons: Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • It is hard to use the data • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
I'm glad CA is moving toward testing based on Common Core. Hopefully, that test will be a better test of their thinking skills.
Submitted by R in California on April 9, 2013
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach • Takes students a reasonable amount of time to complete
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking • Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level
Pros: Easy to administer
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • It is hard to use the data • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
The test does not show growth for many of my students. One of the reasons the assessment is limited as a tool is because the standards for the lower grade levels are too vast. To cover the vast standards on a grade level, we are spending an average of one week on long division in fourth grade, but because there are so many standards to be assessed by the norm-referenced cst, we have to touch, and I do mean touch, no delving deep, the myriad standards. Our curriculum is the epitome of mile wide, inch deep.
Submitted by Kim in California on April 26, 2012
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach
Cons: Takes students too long to complete
Pros: Data is presented clearly
Cons: Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time
Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
Submitted by Telesa in Tennessee on March 31, 2012
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach • Assesses higher-order thinking • Takes students a reasonable amount of time to complete
Cons: Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level
Pros: Easy to administer
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • It is hard to use the data • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
The CST does not align at all to what students should be preparing for.... the SAT and ACT. If we want them to be college ready and successful in college we should be preparing them for this alignment.
Submitted by Rebecca in California on March 23, 2012
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking • Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level
Pros: Easy to administer
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • It is hard to use the data • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
In my experience, the CST math assessment for 6th grade is mediocre at best. The questions do not engage critical thinking skills, instead relying on mainly computation. There is a wide-range of standards in the assessment. This leaves many teachers to plan and focus on test taking strategies and teaching to the test. Instead, teachers should be allowed to focus on problem solving and logic standards.
Submitted by Angie in California on February 22, 2012
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach • Takes students a reasonable amount of time to complete
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking
Pros: Easy to administer • Data is presented clearly
Cons: Results are not returned quickly
The CST in Math provides a reasonably thorough assessment of students' basic grade-level skills as determined by the state standards. Whether there are too many standards is a different question. It will most certainly have to be revised in relation to the Common Core.
Submitted by Su in California on February 20, 2012
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach • Takes students a reasonable amount of time to complete
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking • Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level
Pros: Easy to administer
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • It is hard to use the data • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
This is an assessment of basic understanding of 5th grade standards. It does not touch in higher order thinking at all. The data gives a general indication of areas that I might need to improve on. However, it is not specific enough to meet the needs of teachers in designing remedial instruction. The data comes too late to help me with the students being tested, but might be of assistance to the next educator. The test is administered before all the curriculum can be covered. It does not assess students ability to apply their learning to real life situations.
Submitted by Pam in California on January 25, 2012
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach • Assesses a range of students, including those from far below to far above grade level • Takes students a reasonable amount of time to complete
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking
Pros: Easy to administer
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
The 6th grade Math CST, starts with very low level skills for the first 40 or so questions. Standards such as number sense and proportional thinking are assessed with simple computational questions. Towards the end of the assessment, there are some higher level thinking questions. Standards such as geometry and probability have more complex questions, which require students to have a base knowledge and apply it to a situation or use a combination or skills to solve a question. There needs to be more higher level questions that combine a variety of skills and even standards to show students can apply the knowledge. One of the biggest problems with this assessment is that the results come at the end of the summer, after my students have already left my classroom. There is not much I can do with that data, except see the lowest scored standards and redesign my curriculum to better teach that standard. This test is also administered before the end of the school year. I need to teach a year's worth of content in less than a year. This timing rushes the teaching and learning and does not allow students to take time to fully understand a standard. We must rush through to get to all the standards by May. Overall, the test is pretty low level and the timing of administration and results is not helpful.
Submitted by Sarah in California on January 23, 2012
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach • Takes students a reasonable amount of time to complete
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking • Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level
Pros: Easy to administer • Data is presented clearly
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • It is hard to use the data
In order for this test to receive a 5 star ranking, it needs to measure higher order thinking skills as well as student growth. My students' ability to sift through multiple choice answers and choose the correct one only tells me a fraction of what it is that they know and are able to do.
Submitted by Jennifer in California on January 22, 2012
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach • Takes students a reasonable amount of time to complete
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking
Pros: Easy to administer • Data is presented clearly
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
Aligned with state standards but does not assess higher-order thinking.
Submitted by Meteka in California on January 22, 2012
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach • Assesses a range of students, including those from far below to far above grade level
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking • Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level • Takes students too long to complete
Pros: Easy to administer • Data is presented clearly
Cons: Results are not returned quickly
It's one test that they take - a snapshot. Some of my students who are academically high didn't score as high for a multitude of reasons - illness, test-taking anxiety, they're 7! Others scored surprisingly high, which made me question the true validity the test. I KNOW how my students do in class. I assess them weekly, know their strengths and weaknesses, where they need to improve, and have action plans to achieve the goals I set for them.
This test doesn't show the growth my students have made. It would be different if they took it 3 times a year and THEN measured the growth, but it isn't that way.
Submitted by Loribeth in California on January 21, 2012
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking • Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level
Pros: Easy to administer • Results returned quickly
Cons: Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • It is hard to use the data
Curriculum and the manner by which educators often pose questions through out the year to assess student learning is misaligned with the question types found within the CST. Furthermore, the manner by which critical thinking skills are assessed within a school year is not found within the CST.
Submitted by Mohammed in California on January 21, 2012
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach • Assesses higher-order thinking • Takes students a reasonable amount of time to complete
Cons: Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level
Pros: Easy to administer • Data I receive helps me understand where I am teaching well and where I need to improve
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • It is hard to use the data
Of all of the CST tests in all contents, my perception is that math is the best. Take that for what it's worth.
Students should be able to show mastery on a rigorous, multiple choice assessment, such as the CST, and so I think the assessment is one reliable way to measure student learning. At the middle school math level, the CST in math tends to be low to medium level application and some knowledge-level questions, which does not provide the full range of rigor that I would want to assign students.
The assessment is well-aligned to the state standards and has enough released items from the state to reliably determine what students need to know. Students usually complete it in 2 sessions. The assessment does not aim to measure growth, as so does a poor job of it.
The biggest challenge with CST data is that it is returned months after I am done with that group of students -- so it doesn't help me teach those kids. Also, because the state only releases a few items every couple of years, there's no way to do item analysis with the test. It does a poor job of informing my practice and helping me become a better teacher.
Submitted by Alexis in California on January 21, 2012
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking
Pros: Data is presented clearly
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
The CST is not aligned with the educational philosophy of my school and classroom. All of my unit assessments are open-ended questions or computation problems that require students to show evidence of how they arrive at their answer. The CST format does not guarantee the student score accurately reflects problem solving skills and understanding of concepts. It also does not give credit to students who choose an appropriate strategy, but arrive at the incorrect answer. CST data also has minimal impact on my instruction, since it is received over the summer. Evaluating student understanding using a multiple choice test in the area of mathematics does not value the process of problem solving and effective communication of mathematical understanding of concepts.
Submitted by Sandra in California on January 19, 2012
Pros: Aligned to the standards I teach • Assesses higher-order thinking
Cons: Takes students too long to complete
Pros: Easy to administer
Cons: Results are not returned quickly • Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time • It is hard to use the data • Is not helpful to my professional growth as a teacher
The content of the test is alright, but the administration is a bit frustrating. First of all, the tests are given at roughly the 80% mark of the year, yet covers all the content (perhaps to allow room for advanced students?). Second, the tests results are given back so late as to be very little use to instructional planning.
Submitted by Kyle in California on January 18, 2012
Cons: Does not assess higher-order thinking • Misses growth of some students, such as those far below and/or far above grade level
Pros: Easy to administer
Cons: Doesn't help me track my students' learning gains over time
In my experience, the CST math assessment for 6th grade is mediocre at best. The questions do not engage critical thinking skills, instead relying on mainly computation. There is a wide-range of standards in the assessment. This leaves many teachers to pl
Submitted by Angie in California on January 17, 2012
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