Renaissance’s reading assessment supports Arizona Department of Education’s Move On When Reading legislation to position third-grade students for future success

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (August 8, 2017) – Renaissance^®, the leader in pre-K–12 learning analytics, announces that the Renaissance Star Reading^® Third Grade Proficiency Assessment has been added to the Arizona State Board of Education’s (SBE) list of approved third grade proficiency assessments. The approved reading assessments support a new exemption in the state’s Move On When Reading legislation, stating that third grade students who are retained on the reading portion of the state’s achievement test can still be promoted if they demonstrate, or make adequate progress toward, sufficient reading skills as evidenced by the assessments.

The Star Reading Third Grade Proficiency Assessment, part of Star Reading, scored the highest for measuring the Arizona third grade reading proficiency standards. The assessment is consistent with the exemption to this legislation by measuring students’ mastery of early literacy concepts and student progress toward third grade reading proficiency. The evidence-based reading assessment also personalizes practice to promote student growth and position students for future success.

“We look forward to continuing to work with Arizona schools to offer an assessment solution that is now approved and supports the state’s reading proficiency legislation for third grade,” says Dr. Luann Bowen, vice president of government affairs at Renaissance. “We know that most third graders reading below grade level will continue falling further behind as the content of their classwork becomes increasingly difficult. Renaissance is proud to help states like Arizona address this issue by providing teachers with insights to enhance student outcomes and guide them on the optimal path to reading proficiency.”

Across the country, there is a growing awareness of the role of policy making in addressing the issue of reading proficiency. Renaissance supports these initiatives in states and districts nationwide, and it shows this support in How to Catch Kids Before They Fall, a policy brief describing a common pathway for implementing a system of support to catch all struggling students—across grades and subject areas—and ensure that every child has the opportunity to become a strong, independent reader.

Tim Moses, principal at Superstition Springs Elementary School of Gilbert Public School District in Mesa, Arizona, is pleased with the Arizona SBE’s decision to approve the Star Reading Third Grade Proficiency Assessment as an alternative standardized reading assessment. “Our elementary school has been using Renaissance Accelerated Reader^® along with Star Reading for many years, and we have seen tremendous success in terms of early intervention,” says Moses. “We have trust and assurance that we’ll be able to accurately determine a student’s mastery of the third grade reading standards with this assessment.”

The Star Reading Third Grade Proficiency Assessment delivers accurate and actionable information in the shortest amount of testing time. The 20-minute, 50-item computer adaptive assessment measures third grade reading standards, and students taking this assessment receive items from four domains of these standards, including informational text, literature text, foundational skills, and language vocabulary acquisition and use.

For additional information on Star Reading, visit https://www.renaissance.com/products/assessment/star-360/star-reading-skills/. For more information on Arizona’s Move On When Reading legislation, visit http://www.azed.gov/mowr/.

About Renaissance

Renaissance^® is the leader in pre-K–12 learning analytics—enabling teachers, curriculum creators, and educators to drive phenomenal student growth. Renaissance’s solutions help educators analyze, customize, and plan personalized learning paths for students, allowing time for what matters—creating energizing learning experiences in the classroom. Founded by parents, upheld by educators, and enriched by data scientists, Renaissance knows learning is a continual journey—from year to year and for a lifetime. Our data-driven, personalized solutions are currently used in over one-third of U.S. schools and more than 60 countries around the world. For more information, visit www.renaissance.com.

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