When Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 484 into law he did away with STAR testing in the state of California forever. But with the same pen stroke he also ushered in a new era of testing that all juniors at SJHHS will experience this year, according to documents released by the California Department of Education.

The transition from STAR to the new Smarter Balanced Assessment, a computer based test which all California schools will be required to administer in the 2013-2014 school year, will begin with students in grades three through eight and grade eleven taking a Field Test this spring.

At SJHHS and other high schools, juniors will take either mathematics or English-Language Arts. These tests will be given during a window between March 18 and June 6 depending on the school. Schools do not know which of the two test students will take.

Unlike STAR testing, it is not necessary for students to take the test all at the same time because it is computer based, not pencil and paper, though pencil and paper version of it will be available to districts without the means to administer the computer test, the documents said.

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Field Tests are conducted experimentally, although California students will making up approximately 36 percent of the overall scientific sample for the nation, according to the released Q&A documents.

Grades 9 and 10 are not participating in the Field Tests, but students in grade 10 will continue taking the old version of the science CST to remain in compliance with Federal guidelines.

Teachers have started training for the shift to teaching to the new Common Core Standards this year and will use the techniques learned in training sessions to change classroom practices in preparation for the Smarter Balanced Assessment.

Results of the Field Test will not be reported to students or school districts. The scores will be used to refine test items for the following year.

Since the testing is designed to be administered on computers, CUSD is planning on spending $4.4 million in funds specifically designated for Common Core implementation on technology at one grade level each in elementary, middle, and high schools.

But the district is cautious. “We’re going slow to go fast,” said Deputy Superintendent of Secondary instruction Michelle LePatner.