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Hudson School District to adopt Renaissance Star Assessment for most grades after review
Summary
After a six-year review and vendor demonstrations, the district selected Renaissance’s Star Assessment (replacing FastBridge) for K–10 math and grades 4–10 reading, citing reports aligned to state standards and more actionable teacher/parent reports; 4K–3 remains on AIMSweb Plus per Act 20 requirements.
Hudson School District staff presented the results of a six-year universal screener review and recommended switching the district’s academic screener from FastBridge to Renaissance’s Star Assessment for most grade levels.
"The screener is just one facet of our assessment system," Laura Manarczak, assistant director of teaching and learning, told the board. She described a review process that included a screener committee, vendor demos, rubric scoring, and reference checks with other districts. Melissa Miller, the district’s data and assessment coordinator, said the team used demo accounts and reference-district consultations to evaluate usability and reports.
Under the recommendation, Star will be used for kindergarten through 10th-grade math and grades 4–10 reading. Staff said 4K through third grade must continue with AIMSweb Plus because that screener is mandated by the Act 20 law. Staff emphasized Star’s advantage in producing reports aligned to state academic standards, which they said provide more actionable, skill-level data for teachers and clearer reports for parents.
The district plans to implement the change next school year and provide training for teachers over the summer.
