Screener Testing Instructions – Star Help

Follow the steps below for Screener Testing. The teacher can use a desktop or laptop computer, a Chromebook™, or a tablet; students can use any of these devices or a smartphone.

For guidelines during testing, see Screener Directions During Administration.

On the teacher device, log in to your Renaissance site; then, select Star Phonics under Assess Students on your Renaissance Home page.
Select Screener Testing.
Select the time of year and student; then, select Next. The example below shows the options available to teachers; Reading Specialists also select the teacher.
You'll see the code for the student device. Do not select Begin Test until the code has been entered on the student device as described in the following steps.
On the student device, go to your Renaissance site and have the student log in. Then, have the student select Star Phonics.
Enter the code on the student device; then, select Enter. If you are administering the assessment remotely, tell the student the code so they can enter it on their device.
On the teacher device, you can select the Screener directions, which include a paragraph for you to read to the student and guidance for marking incorrect and correct pronunciations. You can also find guidelines in Screener Directions During Administration.
When you're ready to begin the test, select Begin Test.

The teacher device will look like this:

The student device will look like this:
Students should only be given 3 seconds to read each word. The orange blinking dot is a visual reminder of the time allowed; it blinks in 1-second intervals.

As the student reads the words, mark the words according to the scoring instructions on the page. You can close the instructions by clicking the x. To open the instructions again, select i.

The rhyming word below each nonsense word helps you identify correct pronunciation. To hear the correct pronunciation, click the speaker icon, but be sure to wear a headset so the student does not hear the word. Listening to the pronunciation before testing is a good way to learn the correct pronunciation.

As noted in the instruction box, you can select individual letters or letter combinations to mark part of the word incorrect.

Select the red box to mark the entire word incorrect.

Select the green box to mark the entire word correct.

Select the yellow circle to mark the word skipped. All skipped words will appear at the end of the test, giving the student a second chance to read them. (Select Skipped Words at the end of the assessment to show the words.)

To add notes, click the orange box, select the word, and then type the note in the field on the left.

Once you are done marking the words, select Next to go to the next set of words. This will also advance the student's screen. Repeat this step until the test is complete.
Once the Screener Test is complete, 3 reports are automatically generated:

First you'll see the Screener Student Bar Graph Report, which shows you the student's score on each phonics category in the Screener. When you're done viewing the report, select Next to see the next report.
Next you'll see the Screener Student Tile Report, which shows you the student's incorrect pronunciations in red. To see your notes, select View Notes under the report. When you're ready to go on, select Next to see the next report.
Last, you'll see the Diagnostic Recommendations. This shows you the student's score for each skill category and the expectation (whether it has been taught by this time period based on the selected curriculum). Checked skills will have pending diagnostics; you can check skills or remove check marks as needed. When you're done, select Back, Home, or Go to Diagnostics.

For questions, please email us at support@renaissance.com.