Technical Manual - Renaissance Learning

ValidityPost-Publication Study DataReading Recovery, a program pioneered by Marie Clay in New Zealand and nowwidely used in the US and elsewhere. In early 2002, kindergarten and first gradeteachers in a Michigan elementary school administered STAR Early Literacy to 72students who had recently been assessed using the Running Record. Figure 7shows a scatterplot of Running Record scores ranging from 0 to 29 against STAREarly Literacy scale scores ranging from 389 to 793. The relationship between thetwo sets of test scores is strong and clear: STAR Early Literacy scores varieddirectly with children’s reading proficiency as measured by the Running Record.As STAR Early Literacy scores increased, Running Record scores increased as well.The Pearson correlation between them in this student sample was 0.72.Figure 7:Running Record vs. STAR Early Literacy Scaled Scores Kindergartenand Grade 1 Data, January 2002; Correlation Coefficient = 0.72Michigan Literacy Progress Profile (MLPP)Developed by the Michigan Department of Education, MLPP is a comprehensiveassessment system for preschool to third-grade students. MLPP tests are generallyadministered one-on-one by a teacher or other trained test administrator. TheMLPP is intended to be administered multiple times (3–4) per school year and toprovide teachers with a picture of individual students’ literacy so that they cantarget instruction and help each student develop. MLPP tests are not normed. TheMLPP system consists of several tests. Each school may select the tests it wishes touse. In addition, it may substitute other tests that are not traditionally a part of theMLPP. Two Michigan elementary schools that use both STAR Early Literacy and theMichigan Literacy Progress Profile participated in a study of the relationshipbetween the two assessments.Two Michigan elementary schools that use both MLPP and STAR Early Literacyprovided data for the study from Fall 2003 (n = 245) and Spring 2004 (n = 219).Because the MLPP consists of several individual tests and has no overall score, thecorrelation between the two assessment systems had to be conducted test by test.The results revealed statistically significant and generally high correlations atsignificant levels in both Fall 2003 and Spring 2004.STAR Early LiteracyTechnical Manual67