CA AB391

Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to contract with an independent evaluator to conduct a comprehensive meta-analysis of the STAR Program by April 1, 2011, and submit findings to the Legislature, Governor, and State Board of Education by November 1, 2011.

Mandates the evaluation assess alignment between STAR assessments and content standards, vertical articulation, year-to-year score comparability, compliance with professional testing standards, and usefulness for program evaluation and classroom instruction.

Requires the evaluator to provide recommendations on improving assessment quality, fairness, validity, and reliability for all students including pupils with disabilities and English learners.

Directs the evaluator to recommend ways to provide diagnostic information, formative and interim assessments, reduce testing time, incorporate diverse item formats, and transition to high-quality assessments aligned with state standards.

Establishes that the Department of Education must use federal funds for the evaluation contract and requires an appropriation in the Budget Act or other statute for the provisions to take effect.