Bulletin Board
090303: STAR 2009 4th Grade Writing Test: March 3 - 4, 2009STAR
2009 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program
Parent/Guardian Guide to the California Writing Standards Test
Each spring, public school students in grades four and seven, who participate in the California Standards Tests (CSTs), complete a writing task as part of the California English–language Arts Standards Test (CST for English–Language Arts). This writing task is called the California Writing Standards Test, or the CST for Writing.
Questions and Answers About the CST for Writing
Who takes the CST for Writing?
All students in grades four and seven who take the multiple-choice part of the CST for English–Language Arts also respond to a writing task (prompt).
What types of writing are required on this writing task for 2009?
The type of writing that will be required for the CST for Writing is not announced in advance; therefore, students must be prepared to respond to the following possible types of writing for their respective grades:
Students in grade four may be asked to write a fictional narrative (story), a response to literature, or a summary of a reading passage.
Students in grade seven may be asked to write a fictional narrative (story), a response to literature, a persuasive letter or essay, or a summary of a reading passage.
Where can parents and guardians see sample writing tasks for grades four and seven?
Writing tasks used in previous STAR Program test administrations have been released for public viewing. These tasks are included in the teacher guides found on the California Department of Education (CDE) Program Resources Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/resources.asp. The released writing tasks include samples of student responses for each possible score point. All tasks are based on California’s writing strategy, application, and convention standards, which are a part of the English–language arts content standards.
