Have any middle school teachers ever used STAR Math from Renaissance Learning? Reviews

Have any middle school teachers ever used STAR Math from Renaissance Learning? Reviews?
I'm trying to find a good quick assessment that will allow me to identify a students grade level equivalent and track their progress frequently throughout the year (rather than once a year on the state wide standardized testing). I looked into STAR Math online but would love some practical reviews from teacher who have used it. Thanks.
Teaching - 1 Answers - 2009-04-20 11:57:52

Best Answer
I'm not middle school, but we use the Accelerated Math program in our school, 2-12. We use STAR testing to place them at the beginning of the year and then to progress occasionally throughout the year (we're only supposed to do it 3 times, but I do it at the end of every quarter). I think you need to use Accelerated Math and STAR Math together for it to be successful. It gives students a chance to work at their own pace apart from what the rest of the class is doing. That way they can have more intense work on a subject they're not doing well on or they can progress in a way that will keep them from getting bored and becoming a disruption. For instance, all of my children started at the beginning of the second grade library. I now have 3-4 students in the third grade library. One student is about 20 objectives away from completing the third grade library. Also, I noticed that my students went from 50% At Risk at the beginning of the year to 8% At Risk now.