Selecting Students for STARI

STARI is designed for students in grades 6-9 who are 2 or more years behind grade level in reading.


To successfully participate in STARI, students should be able to read material at a 500 lexile (approximately a second grade reading level) with 95% or higher word reading accuracy (independent level) and with at least 75% comprehension. Students with mild or moderate disabilities or those who are advanced English language learners may be appropriate for STARI, along with students who struggle with reading comprehension but have no specific language or learning differences.


There are many different methods to determine which students should be placed in the STARI classroom, including diagnostic reading tests, standardized test scores, ELA teacher recommendations, grades, and IEPs. Some schools use below proficient scores on the state English language arts assessment as an initial screen for STARI eligibility. Students in the below-proficient range can participate in individual or group reading assessments to further determine whether their reading skills are well-matched with STARI. Based on our experiences working with schools, we are able to offer recommended ranges for STARI participation on a variety of commonly used assessments. These are only recommendations; we have also worked with schools who have made different choices regarding student eligibility for STARI.

Table with information at placing STARI students

  • More about using Capti Assess with ETS ReadBasix to select students for STARI

    We recommend STARI for students who fit the following criteria for Capti Assess scores:


    • Word Recognition & Decoding scale score is greater than 235 (> 235)

    AND


    • Reading Comprehension scale score is less than 248 (< 248)

    These recommendations are intended as general guidelines. We recommend that schools and teachers be flexible and balance these scores with other knowledge about a student’s performance and the resources available for STARI classes. For example, when using Capti Assess scores to determine eligibility for STARI, schools may wish to vary the cutoff score for Reading Comprehension across grade levels. For example, a sixth or seventh grade student with a Reading Comprehension score of 248 may read on or close to grade level, particularly if he or she has strong scores across the other subtests or on other measures of reading skills. 


    However, the minimum Word Recognition and Decoding score applies across grade levels. To access the STARI curriculum, students need to be able to read material at a second-grade level or higher (lexile 500, G.E. 2.5 or higher) with 95% or higher word reading accuracy (independent level). STARI is not appropriate for students who read at a first, or beginning second grade level or who have an Individualized Education Plan that specifies work with a rules-based phonics program. Students also need to have oral communication skills at an intermediate English language development (ELD) level. STARI is not appropriate for students who are English language learners at the lowest levels of ELD proficiency.


    The score report makes it easy to quickly identify the students who do not need STARI. If a student has red scores across the board, s/he should be referred for further reading assessment to see if there is evidence of a language-based learning disability or other kind of profile where a rules-based phonics program would be more appropriate than STARI.


    Some students will have profiles that are harder to decipher because the components are all over the spectrum. It is especially important that their teachers and their performance history play a role in their placement. A student who has a mixed profile, and who had been performing well in early grades but has been slipping in the middle grades, may have an unnoticed reading problem that could be addressed in the STARI course. No single assessment should be used to determine the placement of these mixed-profile students. Further exploration of their needs, and consideration of options available in addition to STARI, should contribute to the decision.