ESTAR/MSTAR and TxAIR Update

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Greetings, Educational Technology Bulletin Members.

 

Topics included in this bulletin:

• ESTAR/MSTAR Universal Screeners and Diagnostic Assessments
• ESTAR/MSTAR Professional Development
• TxAIR Update
• ESTAR/MSTAR/TxAIR Batch Upload

 

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ESTAR/MSTAR Universal Screeners and Diagnostic Assessments

As the new school year begins, please be aware of the availability of ESTAR (grades 2–4) and MSTAR (grades 5–8) Universal Screeners and Diagnostic Assessments (DAs), valuable tools to support instructional decision-making regarding students’ algebra readiness. These tools can be accessed at mstar.epsilen.com.

Administration Windows

ESTAR/MSTAR Universal Screeners

• Fall: August 24, 2015–October 2, 2015
• Winter: January 11, 2016–February 12, 2016
• Spring: April 4, 2016–May 6, 2016

ESTAR/MSTAR Diagnostic Assessments

• Fall: August 31, 2015–October 9, 2015
• Winter: January 18, 2016–February 19, 2016
• Spring: April 11, 2016–May 13, 2016

The ESTAR/MSTAR Universal Screeners, DAs, and professional development courses are available at no cost to all Texas public school districts. To ensure a successful launch, please take the following steps:

1. Review the ESTAR/MSTAR Universal Screeners User Manual (available for download on the Project Share Gateway).
2. After class rosters have stabilized, complete the batch upload process to create student accounts. For account creation assistance, contact mathTX@esc13.net. (See additional information below about concurrent enrollment in ESTAR/MSTAR and TxAIR systems.)
3. Complete spot checks to ensure student account creation was successful and that the district system and network settings are compatible with the ESTAR/MSTAR system’s technical requirements. (The ESTAR/MSTAR User Manual provides information on technical requirements.)
4. Administer the Universal Screener to all students in grades 2–4 (ESTAR) and 5–8 (MSTAR).

Identify students in grades 2–8 who are struggling with algebra readiness using the ESTAR/MSTAR Universal Screener results (students identified in Tier 2 or Tier 3), and administer the ESTAR/MSTAR DAs to those students.

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ESTAR/MSTAR Professional Development

Teachers are encouraged to complete the appropriate online professional development courses when using the ESTAR/MSTAR Universal Screeners and DAs. The following online courses are available through Project Share:

• TEA ESTAR/MSTAR Universal Screeners
• TEA ESTAR/MSTAR Learning Progressions
• TEA ESTAR/MSTAR Diagnostic Assessments

TEA’s contract with Epsilen, the learning management system (LMS) used to deliver Project Share’s online professional development courses, ends August 31, 2015. There will be a lapse in service as TEA transitions from one management system to another. For this reason, ESTAR/MSTAR training will be unavailable for a brief period this fall. When courses are made available, teachers should complete the online courses to ensure understanding of the ESTAR/MSTAR Universal Screeners and DAs. TEA will send course updates through ESC contacts and various list-servs.

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TxAIR Update

The Texas Achievement Items Repository (TxAIR) is a web-based tool provided at no cost to all Texas public districts and open-enrollment charter schools. TxAIR allows teachers to identify students’ strengths and weaknesses on targeted math and science TEKS for grades 3–12.

For more information or assistance with using this resource for the 2015–2016 school year, please contact txair@esc4.net.

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ESTAR/MSTAR/TxAIR Batch Upload

With the start of a new school year, all ESTAR/MSTAR and TxAIR enrollment files will be uploaded by a District Administrator. Participating districts are being asked to use the new TSDS Unique Identifier in ESTAR/MSTAR/TxAIR enrollment files. Contact your District Administrator and/or the Math Support Center helpdesk at mathtx@esc13.net for detailed instructions on the new batch upload process.

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Thank you for your commitment to serving Texas students.

Educational Technology Staff, IMET Division, (512) 463-9601

Tammy L. Brite – Tammy.Brite@tea.state.gov

Educational Technology Specialist