Kaamiya Burroughs

Part A: Program Evaluation

Executive Summary

The STAR program is a program implemented by Fulton County for all of the
technology resource centers in all elementary and middle schools. It is intended to
provide the most valid, reliable, actionable data in the least amount of testing time.
It enables teachers to focus on what matter most and individualizing instruction to
accelerate learning for all students. This program has been in place for one year, the
2013-2014 school year. The results of these assessments determine the current
level of performance in reading and math. The expectation is that the majority of
the student population meets or exceeds the requirements of the program or face
school wide response to intervention implementation.

Organizational Chart




Center Context and Goals
The mission of the center is to support and improve student achievement by integrating
technology into daily instruction and administrative processes. The vision is for all
students to learn to their full potential.
The goals of the center are established in the following categories:
-Access to technology
-Instructional uses of technology
-Administrative uses of technology
-Parent/community uses of technology
-System readiness


Stakeholders
Persons Involved in Program Operations Job Titles/Descriptions
Kine Geathers
Aliza Dorsey
Teachers
Principal
Assistant Principal
Persons Served or Affected by the Program
Students
Parents

Center Activities
Star Reading & Math
Star assessments are conducted in the areas of reading and math and are for children in
grades 1-5. Children are tested in the computer lab every Monday and Friday. STAR
assessments provide valid, reliable data in usually 20 minutes or less. These assessments
are computer adaptive for student use.

Methods For Data Gathering

-Interview with Technology Specialist

Mr. Harris is the technology specialist for Seaborn Lee ES. He was hired in March of
2014. He has been a tech specialist for six years. His focus is to solely troubleshoot
software and hardware issues for the school and staff members.

1. How many computers are available for student use?
-Computer lab: 29
-Laptop Cart: 30

2. How often are teachers supposed to bring their students to the computer lab?
Teachers are required to bring their students to the computer lab every week.

3. How long is each class session?
45 minutes

4. Does the teacher stay in the room and facilitate?
Yes, the teacher stays in the room and facilitates his/her own class.

5. Has the teacher been trained on the software provided for the students?
Every certified teacher has accomplished STAR training.


Internal Reports

These reports are meant to determine whether student growth was achieved or not. The
initial pre-administration occurred in early September before intense instruction begins in
the classroom. The final post-test occurs in early April just before the CRCT. When
viewing the data below, administration refers to the GE (grade equivalent) column, which
shows overall student growth for the entire third grade class.

Reading Data

3
rd
Grade



The data above shows third grade students achieved growth overall by +1.0. Overall,
students were at a 2.6 level (second grade level, six months) in September (pretest) and
advanced to 3.6 (third grade level, six months) by the end of the school year in April.
This shows a grade level gain by an entire year for the third grade class.

4
th
Grade



Fourth grades data shows an overall growth in grade equivalency as well. Students
pretested at a 4.1 level and ended at 4.8, which shows a growth increase of +0.7. This
means students tested at a fourth grade level, month one in September and ended at fourth
grade, month 8 by April.

5
th
Grade



Fifth grades data shows an overall growth in grade equivalency as well. Students
pretested at a 5.3 level and ended at 5.8, which shows a growth increase of +0.5. This
means students tested at a fifth grade level, month three in September and ended at fifth
grade, month 8 by April.

Math Data

3rd Grade


Third grades data shows an overall growth in grade equivalency in the subject area of
math. Students pretested at a 3.0 level and ended at 3.8, which shows a growth increase
of +0.8. This means students tested right at a third grade level in September and ended at
third grade, month 8 by April.



4
th
Grade


Fourth grades data shows an overall growth in grade equivalency in the subject area of
math. Students pretested at a 4.4 level and ended at 5.6, which shows a growth increase
of +1.2. This means students tested above a fourth grade level, fourth month in
September and ended above a fifth grade level, month 6 by April.

5
th
Grade




Fifth grades data shows an overall growth in grade equivalency in the subject area of
math. Students pretested at a 5.4 level and ended at 6.6, which shows a growth increase
of +1.2. This means students tested above a fifth grade level, fourth month in September
and ended above a sixth grade level, month 6 by April overall. Fourth and fifth grade
were the only grades to show entire grade level gains in data.

Evaluation
Fulton Countys implementation of the STAR reading and Math program in its schools
was intended to allow valid, reliable, actionable data in the least amount of testing
time. Students were assessed throughout the year and teachers were charged with
pinpointing student deficits from the assessments and providing intense, rigorous
instruction. Students took the pre-test in September 2013 and the post-test in April
2014. Key findings include:
-Student growth was achieved for all grade levels in the area of grade equivalency.
-Fourth grade showed an entire grade level gain by the end of the year.
-The average growth in reading overall was +0.73.
-The average growth for math overall was +1.06.

Overall, this is an effective program. The primary purpose of the assessments were
to determine the current level of performance in math and reading early in the
school year and show gains by the end of the school year. This purpose was
achieved; therefore, STAR reading and math should be implemented again for the
2014-2015 school year.