STAR Test Scores: Parent's Guide



If you're looking to understand what a good STAR Test score is, how the grading scale works, or how to interpret your child's STAR results, you've come to the right place. Below, we've provided detailed information to help you make sense of STAR Math and STAR Reading scores, understand their meaning, and use them to support growth.

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Types of STAR Assessment Scores

Renaissance STAR Assessments are standardized tests designed to evaluate students' skills in reading, math, and early literacy. These assessments provide valuable insights into a student's academic performance, helping educators and parents understand a child's abilities and guide individualized instruction.

Many types of scores go into the report compiled to monitor your child's academic progress. 

1. Scaled Score (SS)

  • Meaning: A fundamental score that tracks student performance over time
  • Range:
    • Star Reading and Star Math: 600-1400
    • Star Early Literacy: 200-1100
  • Calculation: Based on the number of correct answers and question difficulty
  • Purpose: Compare performance across different grade levels

2. Grade Equivalent (GE)

  • Meaning: Compares student performance to national grade-level standards
  • Example: A 4th-grader with a GE of 5.2 performs like a 5th grader, 20% into the school year suggesting above-grade-level performance
  • Example: A 6th-grade student with a GE of 4.8 is performing at a level typical for the eighth month of fourth grade, indicating below-grade-level performance

3. Percentile Rank (PR)

  • Meaning: Compares student performance to peers nationwide. A PR of 75 means your child is performing better than 75% of students in their grade nationwide.
  • Range: 1-99
  • Interpretation: A PR of 85 means the student performed better than 85% of peers

4. Student Growth Percentile (SGP)

  • Meaning: Measures individual student progress relative to academic peers. A score of 60 means your child has grown more than 60% of other students with similar prior achievement.
  • Range: 1-99
  • Significance: Indicates improvement compared to students with similar starting points

5. Domain Scores

  • Definition: Domain scores estimate the percentage of grade-level content students have mastered in each major topic area (domain) for their current grade. 
  • Purpose: These scores help identify strengths and areas needing improvement, allowing for targeted instruction in specific domains like number sense, operations, problem-solving, or reading comprehension.

By understanding what each score means, parents can better support their child’s academic journey. The Star Reading, Star Math, and Star Early Literacy scores provide actionable insights into your child’s progress and areas of strength and challenge. Whether the goal is improving literacy, strengthening math skills, or building early foundational knowledge, these scores are a tool for targeted support and growth.


STAR Reading Scores by Grade Level

Grade Window Below Benchmark (SS Range) On Watch (SS Range) At/Above Benchmark (SS Range)
K Fall < 487 487 - 529 ≥ 530
  Winter < 534 534 - 576 ≥ 577
  Spring < 573 573 - 615 ≥ 616
1 Fall < 576 576 - 629 ≥ 630
  Winter < 637 637 - 690 ≥ 691
  Spring < 685 685 - 738 ≥ 739
2 Fall < 689 689 - 746 ≥ 747
  Winter < 744 744 - 801 ≥ 802
  Spring < 786 786 - 843 ≥ 844
3 Fall < 756 756 - 812 ≥ 813
  Winter < 800 800 - 856 ≥ 857
  Spring < 833 833 - 889 ≥ 890
4 Fall < 812 812 - 867 ≥ 868
  Winter < 847 847 - 902 ≥ 903
  Spring < 873 873 - 928 ≥ 929
5 Fall < 854 854 - 910 ≥ 911
  Winter < 883 883 - 939 ≥ 940
  Spring < 905 905 - 961 ≥ 962
6 Fall < 889 889 - 946 ≥ 947
  Winter < 914 914 - 971 ≥ 972
  Spring < 934 934 - 991 ≥ 992
7 Fall < 920 920 - 977 ≥ 978
  Winter < 941 941 - 998 ≥ 999
  Spring < 958 958 - 1015 ≥ 1016
8 Fall < 946 946 - 1004 ≥ 1005
  Winter < 964 964 - 1022 ≥ 1023
  Spring < 979 979 - 1037 ≥ 1038
9 Fall < 969 969 - 1028 ≥ 1029
  Winter < 984 984 - 1043 ≥ 1044
  Spring < 997 997 - 1056 ≥ 1057
10 Fall < 990 990 - 1050 ≥ 1051
  Winter < 1003 1003 - 1063 ≥ 1064
  Spring < 1015 1015 - 1075 ≥ 1076
11 Fall < 1008 1008 - 1069 ≥ 1070
  Winter < 1019 1019 - 1080 ≥ 1081
  Spring < 1030 1030 - 1091 ≥ 1092
12 Fall < 1023 1023 - 1085 ≥ 1086
  Winter < 1033 1033 - 1095 ≥ 1096
  Spring < 1042 1042 - 1104 ≥ 1105

STAR Math Scores by Grade Level

Grade Window Below Benchmark (SS Range) On Watch (SS Range) At/Above Benchmark (SS Range)
K Fall < 481 481 - 523 ≥ 524
  Winter < 521 521 - 563 ≥ 564
  Spring < 555 555 - 597 ≥ 598
1 Fall < 567 567 - 607 ≥ 608
  Winter < 610 610 - 650 ≥ 651
  Spring < 646 646 - 686 ≥ 687
2 Fall < 658 658 - 696 ≥ 697
  Winter < 693 693 - 731 ≥ 732
  Spring < 723 723 - 761 ≥ 762
3 Fall < 726 726 - 763 ≥ 764
  Winter < 755 755 - 792 ≥ 793
  Spring < 780 780 - 817 ≥ 818
4 Fall < 775 775 - 812 ≥ 813
  Winter < 801 801 - 838 ≥ 839
  Spring < 824 824 - 861 ≥ 862
5 Fall < 817 817 - 854 ≥ 855
  Winter < 839 839 - 876 ≥ 877
  Spring < 858 858 - 895 ≥ 896
6 Fall < 842 842 - 879 ≥ 880
  Winter < 861 861 - 898 ≥ 899
  Spring < 877 877 - 914 ≥ 915
7 Fall < 862 862 - 899 ≥ 900
  Winter < 879 879 - 916 ≥ 917
  Spring < 893 893 - 930 ≥ 931
8 Fall < 879 879 - 916 ≥ 917
  Winter < 894 894 - 931 ≥ 932
  Spring < 907 907 - 944 ≥ 945
9-12* Fall < 901 901 - 937 ≥ 938
  Winter < 914 914 - 950 ≥ 951
  Spring < 925 925 - 961 ≥ 962

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What is a Good Score on the STAR Test?

A good score on the STAR test depends on your child's grade level and the specific subject being tested. These assessments help identify your child's strengths and areas where they might need additional support in both reading and math.
Achievement Categories for STAR Tests
Both STAR Reading and STAR Math use the same four categories to classify student performance:

  • At/Above Benchmark (40th percentile and above): Your child is meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations. They're demonstrating solid understanding of reading concepts or math skills appropriate for their grade.
  • On Watch (25th-39th percentile): Your child is slightly below grade-level expectations. They may benefit from some additional support to strengthen specific reading or math concepts.
  • Intervention (10th-24th percentile): Your child is struggling with grade-level concepts and needs targeted help. This often means they'll receive specialized instruction in problem areas to help them catch up.
  • Urgent Intervention (Below 10th percentile): Your child needs immediate intensive support. Without prompt attention, they may fall significantly behind their peers in reading comprehension or mathematical understanding.

By understanding these results, you and your child's teachers can work together to provide the right level of support and challenge in both subjects.


Strategies for Parents and Teachers

The STAR test is a comprehensive assessment tool that provides multiple scores to help educators and parents gain a deeper understanding of a student's performance. By deciphering these scores, you can identify areas of strength and weakness, and develop targeted strategies to support your child's learning journey.

Tracking Progress Over Time

  • One of the key benefits of the Scaled Score (SS): is that it allows parents and teachers to track a child’s progress over time, even across different grade levels. By comparing the current score to previous test results, parents and teachers can gauge whether the child is improving in key areas like reading comprehension, vocabulary, or math fluency. 
  • Growth Percentile (SGP): If a student’s growth percentile is high (e.g., 70+), it shows that the child is making more progress than the average student nationwide, indicating successful interventions and teaching strategies. If the growth percentile is lower, it might signal that the child is not progressing as expected and may need additional support. 

Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses

The Star Reading, Star Math, and Star Early Literacy assessments offer a comprehensive view of where a child excels and where they may need additional support. 

  • For Reading: A Grade Equivalent (GE) score tells whether a child is reading at, above, or below grade level. If a student’s scaled score is lower than expected for their grade, teachers and parents can provide additional STAR reading practice or focused literacy interventions. For example, a low Grade Equivalent score might indicate that a child is struggling with comprehension, fluency, or phonics. 
  • For Math: Similarly, the Star Math test scores show whether a student is meeting the expected math standards for their grade level. A Domain Score will point out specific areas, such as number sense, operations, or problem-solving, where the student may need focused instruction. If a student’s Percentile Rank (PR) is low, teachers can review which areas of math are challenging for the student and create a plan for improvement. 
  • For Early Literacy: Early literacy assessments are particularly useful for younger students. The Star Early Literacy score can show whether a child is ready for more advanced reading activities or if they need more work on basic skills like letter recognition, phonics, or fluency 

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Setting Realistic Goals

  • The Grade Equivalent (GE) and Percentile Rank scores allow both parents and teachers to set realistic academic goals. 
  • For Teachers: Teachers can set individual learning goals for each student based on where they are performing compared to national norms. For instance, if a student is reading at a Grade Equivalent level of 4.2 but is in 3rd grade, the teacher may focus on keeping the student challenged with 4th-grade material while also reinforcing core skills that they might be missing. 
  • For Parents: Parents can use these scores to understand where their child is excelling and where they need to focus their attention. A percentile rank of 85 means that the child is doing better than 85% of their peers, which is something to celebrate, but a percentile rank of 40 might signal that extra help is needed. This allows parents to approach areas where their child needs support in a strategic way. 

Monitoring Response to Interventions

The Student Growth Percentile (SGP) and changes in Scaled Scores over time are excellent indicators of how well a child is responding to interventions. 

  • For Teachers: If a teacher has implemented a specific intervention (e.g., extra reading practice, math tutoring, or phonics drills), they can look at the child’s SGP and other scores to see if the child’s academic growth has increased. If there is minimal progress, the intervention might need to be adjusted or intensified. 
  • For Parents: Parents can monitor whether their child’s performance improves after a period of extra support at home, such as more reading time or math practice. If progress is slow, parents can collaborate with teachers to explore new strategies or additional resources. 

Early Identification of Learning Gaps

For younger children, the Star Early Literacy scores can identify gaps early in the academic journey, allowing teachers and parents to provide early interventions that can prevent more significant challenges later on. 

  • For Teachers: Teachers can use these scores to implement interventions at an early stage. For example, if a student is struggling with phonemic awareness, the teacher can provide additional phonics lessons to help the student develop stronger reading skills. 
  • For Parents: Parents can help their children overcome gaps in foundational literacy and math skills by using targeted practice tools and activities recommended by teachers, or using adivice and games focused on early literacy skills. 

Motivation and Confidence

Star scores also provide parents with a great way to motivate children by acknowledging achievements, no matter how small. 

  • For Parents: Sharing progress with children and celebrating milestones can boost their motivation and self-esteem. If a child shows growth, even if their scores are not yet at grade level, it’s important to recognize their improvement and encourage continued effort. This positive reinforcement helps children feel confident and motivated to keep improving 

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Improve Your STAR Test Scores With Targeted Test Practice

STAR Assessment scores are powerful tools for understanding and supporting a child's academic journey. By carefully interpreting these scores and working collaboratively, parents and teachers can provide targeted support that helps children develop strong foundational skills and a love for learning.

While STAR scores are valuable, it's important to remember they are just one measure of academic performance. Schools typically consider multiple factors when making educational decisions for students. The scores should be used in conjunction with classroom performance, teacher observations, and other assessments to create a comprehensive educational plan tailored to your child's needs. 

Renaissance STAR Login Information

Renaissance is the educational technology company that develops the STAR assessments along with other educational programs like Accelerated Reader (AR), Accelerated Math, and myON. Here's what parents and educators should know about the Renaissance login system:

STAR Login Process

  • School-Provided Credentials: Schools that use Renaissance products provide unique login credentials (username and password) to students, teachers, and parents.
  • Site Renaissance ID: Each school has a unique Site Renaissance ID that might be required at login.
  • Role-Based Access: Different login credentials provide access to different features based on user roles (student, teacher, parent, or administrator).

Parent Access

Parents typically receive login information from their child's school that allows them to:

  • View their child's STAR assessment results
  • Monitor reading progress in Accelerated Reader
  • Track math practice and quiz scores
  • Access recommended reading lists based on their child's reading level

Student Access

Students use their credentials to:

  • Take STAR assessments when assigned
  • Access Accelerated Reader quizzes after reading books
  • Complete assigned math practice
  • Access personalized reading and math resources

If you're having trouble logging in to Renaissance, contact your school's technology coordinator or the teacher who assigned the Renaissance activities, as they can provide the correct login information and troubleshooting assistance specific to your school's setup.