Renaissance is deeply committed to our mission to accelerate learning for all children and adults of all ability levels and ethnic and social backgrounds worldwide. With this mission at the forefront of our decision making, we are excited to introduce biliteracy trajectories in Star Assessments.
The research, including the method and approach to creating biliteracy trajectories in Star can be found in this whitepaper. This white paper also provides guidance on interpreting biliteracy data, along with practical classroom applications and look-up tables of Star cut scores to help track students’ progress towards biliteracy.
What are biliteracy trajectories?
Biliteracy trajectories refer to the developmental path a student takes when learning to read and write proficiently in two languages, often with a focus on how their abilities in one language may influence their development in the other. Aligned to the English and Spanish versions of our Star computer-adaptive assessments, the biliteracy trajectories can help educators:
- Assess students’ literacy development in both Spanish and English
- Inform instructional decisions in each language
- Support bilingual students’ success
- Empower students by providing an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge in both languages
Why are biliteracy trajectories important?
In the introduction to the whitepaper, Dr. Kathy Escamilla—a leading expert in the field of bilingual education—describes this as one of the most relevant and impactful research papers she has reviewed in recent years. She believes this work has the potential to significantly influence both the theoretical and practical aspects of dual language programs in the US.
What’s coming for Star?
In the coming months, educators can expect the newly created Star Biliteracy Report, embedding the data used in the whitepaper’s look-up tables. These new reports, which will automatically populate student’s Star test scores, are designed to help educators determine whether students who take Star Assessments in both English and Spanish are performing within expected ranges, compared to other bilingual students.
At Renaissance, we are continually innovating and refining our products to promote an asset-based approach to student learning and provide educators with accurate data and resources to accelerate student learning.