STAR        CaHSEE

        How Can You Help Your Child Succeed?

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For additional information, please contact CDE's CAHSEE Office at (916) 445-9449 or cahsee@cde.ca.gov

CaHSEE - Now a Graduation Requirement  (Contact your counselor for specific info.)

The purpose of CAHSEE is to ensure that students who graduate from high school can demonstrate grade level competency in the state content standards for reading, writing, and mathematics. The California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) is aligned to the English-language arts and mathematics content standards adopted by the State Board of Education.

STAR Testing

This program, administered annually, was authorized in 1997 through Senate Bill 376. The purpose of the STAR program is to help measure how well students in California public schools are learning basic academic skills. The California STAR testing program consists of the assessment of (1) California Content Standards in Language Arts, Mathematics, and selected courses in Science and Social Science at the secondary level and (2) the California Achievement Test, a norm referenced test.  Both assessments are administered in grades 2 to 11.

How You Can Help Your Child Succeed:

Parents or guardians play an important role in their students’ education. Positive attitudes of families about completing school assignments, learning new skills, and “doing your best” can affect how well students achieve. The results of research about learning show that a great deal can be done at home to increase a student’s academic performance.

There are many things you can do at home to support your student’s education. The idea is to encourage students to expand their knowledge and practice what they are learning at school. Some activities for helping your students in reading, writing, spelling, mathematics, and other academic areas follow.
In Reading and Writing:
» Talk with your children about their studies, homework, and what they did at school.
» Listen to your children read, and read stories aloud to them.
» Have a family time when you read the newspaper, a magazine, or a book, and your children read their own books.
» Talk about what you and your children are reading and words they do not understand.
» Encourage your children to write such things as shopping lists, thank-you notes, requests, short stories, recipes and journals.
» Set a limit on the amount of time your children watch television. Watch and discuss television programs with them whenever possible.
» Take your children to the library regularly and help them select their books.
In Mathematics:
» Attend parent education classes about mathematics to prepare for questions that your children might ask at home.
» Check with your children every day to make sure homework assignments are completed.
» Ask questions about mathematics and solve problems as you play games, watch television, or prepare a favorite recipe.
» Show children how you use mathematics in what you do every day (e.g., cooking, crafts, automobile repair, speedometer reading, shopping).
» Help your children read charts or graphs in newspapers, magazines, or television, and talk about what they mean.

 
In Other Academic Areas:

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 Other academic areas such as science and history challenge students to combine reading and mathematics skills with their knowledge of the subject. As students read about a given subject, they learn the vocabulary and knowledge to complete assignments and answer questions on tests.

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 Parents should share their interests in any of these academic areas because children become interested in what is discussed at home. Family trips might include visits to museums and historic sites. Television viewing might include one night a week when the family chooses to learn about a topic of the student’s choice. Newspapers, magazine articles, or television programs about a new scientific discovery or an important historical event should be shared and discussed.

 
You Can Help Your Children Do Better on Tests by:
» Attend parent information meetings. Ask questions about the major tests given to students and other ways academic achievement is measured.
» Visit your school to find out how your student’s classroom instruction is aligned to state-adopted standards.
» Know when the major tests such as the STAR tests will be given and what grade levels and subject areas will be covered.
» Share test-like material that comes to the home, such as opinion surveys or sample voting ballots.
» Discuss with your children the importance of doing their best on assignments and tests.
» Make sure children get a good night’s rest and breakfast before a big test.
» Do not plan activities that will take your children away from school on testing days.

 
To Know More:
» Attend parent-teacher conferences to find out how well your children are achieving and what they need to do to improve.
» You are encouraged to contact the school for additional information about your child’s learning. Information about the tests that students are taking at their school is also available.