A Study of the

Stanford Achievement Test Series,

Tenth Edition (Stanford 10)
Alignment to the
Common Core State Standards
 Stanford Achievement Test Series, Tenth Edition

The benchmark of excellence in achievement testing for more than 80 years, the
Stanford 10 provides the valid and reliable data needed for an objective measure
of student progress toward content standards and high expectations. This
multiple-choice assessment helps to identify student strengths and needs, leading
to effective placement and instructional planning.

Each item in the Stanford 10 is designed to measure up to four achievement

With the June 2, 2010, release of the Common Core State Standards, parameters, including a content cluster, a cognitive level, a process level, and
an instructional standard. The Stanford 10 content was developed from
state-led education standards developed for K–12 English Language Arts
extensive review of national and state standards, as well as curricula and
and Mathematics, Pearson Learning Assessments and content experts instructional practices.
conducted an in-depth study to analyze how the Stanford 10 Achievement
Test Series, Tenth Edition (Stanford 10) and Stanford 10 Online items* The Stanford 10 and the Stanford 10 Online provide important information about
align to the new standards. achievement for students in all types of learning environments, including public,
private, charter, and home schools.

The study included analysis of all standalone and passage-based With the release of the Common Core State Standards, the Stanford 10 continues
items on Form A of the Stanford 10 English Language Arts (ELA) and to be an excellent and timely measure of achievement, and this publication
Mathematics subtests for K–12. Overall, 100 percent of the Stanford 10 illustrates how the test items align to the Common Core State Standards.

English Language Arts items align to the Common Core State Standards,
and 98.5 percent of the Stanford 10 Mathematics items are in alignment.

The Common Core State Standards Initiative

Details and examples of the alignment process conducted are included
in this publication, along with more information about the Stanford 10’s The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by
the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the
relationship to the Common Core State Standards.
Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The standards were developed in
collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts to provide a clear
and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce.

The standards are informed by the highest, most effective models from states
across the country and countries around the world, and provide teachers and
parents with a common understanding of what students are expected to learn.
Consistent standards will provide appropriate benchmarks for all students,
regardless of where they live.
*Stanford 10 Form A items were aligned to the Common Core State Standards. There has been no claim
that any Stanford Form adequately assesses the Common Core State Standards. This document only relays
information about how well Stanford Form A items align to Common Core State Standards.

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s). All rights reserved.
1
 These standards define the knowledge and skills students should have within As states move toward adoption of the Common Core State Standards, the
their K–12 education careers so that they will graduate high school able to Stanford 10 continues to provide information about how well your students are
succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing academic college courses and in workforce meeting the objectives and goals set forth. The Stanford 10 is a single assessment,
training programs. with multiple subtests, and provides you with insight into much of the Common
Core State Standards.

The standards:
• Focus on English Language Arts and Mathematics The subtests in Stanford 10 that have items aligned to the Common Core State
Standards are available online in the Stanford 10 Online, Form A. Please see the
• Are aligned with college and work expectations chart below for details.

• Are curriculum standards meant to serve as the base on which to Stanford 10 Online
build a broader set of assessment standards Alignment Done for All Subtests Levels Grades
Total Reading and Total Mathematics ONLY P3–T3 3–11 & 12
• Are clear, understandable, and consistent
Total Reading Only P3–T3 3–11 & 12
• Include rigorous content and application of knowledge Total Math Only P3–T3 3–11 & 12
through higher-order thinking skills

• Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards

Stanford 10 Online
• Are informed by other top performing countries, so that all students Alignment Done for ELA and
are prepared to succeed in our global economy and society Mathematics Subtests Levels Grades
Complete Battery P3–T3 3–11 & 12
• Are evidence-based
Abbreviated Battery P3–T3 3–11 & 12

The complete version of the Common Core State Standards is available

at www.corestandards.org

Description and Process of the Stanford 10, Form A, Alignment to

the Common Core State Standards
Stanford 10 Meets Your Needs Now and in the Future
What items were aligned in the study?
The mission statement of the Common Core State Standards establishes that the
standards are to “provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are All of the items for the ELA and Mathematics subtests in the Stanford 10 Scope and
expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help Sequence, on the facing page, were aligned to the Common Core State Standards
them.” The Stanford 10 gives all students the opportunity to show what they know as part of this study.
and can do. Results provide students, educators, and parents with information
about student progress toward achievement of high academic standards, including
the Common Core State Standards.

2 3
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 alignment match was sought one level above or one level below the Common Core

5
In conducting the study, Stanford 10 stand-alone items were aligned to the grade

6th Grade, 5 months

level of the Common Core State Standards matching the spring administration

the item is appropriate for a student who is in 5th grade for 5 or more months,

6.5 means 6th grade, 5 months.

A Stanford 10 item at the Intermediate 2 level was first aligned to grade 5, as
or presented with a passage, passage-based. Stand-alone item alignment is
All of the Stanford 10 items are multiple-choice and are either stand-alone,

level of that item in the Stanford 10. If a match was not found on level, an

Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan
Alignment of Stanford 10, Form A, Stand-alone Items

Making the assumption of a traditional school year for this example:

Intermediate 2 Administration Window(s)

To what grade or level were stand-alone items aligned?

6th Grade Starts

indicating a spring administration of the 5th grade year.

5th Grade Ends

Intermediate 2

5.5–6.5
Grade

Spring Administration
Feb–Jun
5th Grade , 5 months
State Standards grade level.

5.5 means 5th grade, 5 months.

addressed first.

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Example 1

5th Grade Start

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STANFORD 10 : SCOPE & SEQUENCE
SESAT 1 SESAT 2 Primary 1 Primary 2 Primary 3 Intermediate 1 Intermediate 2 Intermediate 3 Advanced 1 Advanced 2 Task 1 Task 2 Task 3
GRADE GRADE GRADE GRADE GRADE GRADE GRADE GRADE GRADE GRADE GRADE GRADE GRADE
K.0–K.5 K.5–1.5 1.5–2.5 2.5–3.5 3.5–4.5 4.5–5.5 5.5–6.5 6.5–7.5 7.5–8.5 8.5–9.9 9.0–9.9 10.0–10.9 11.0–12.9
Test Levels K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T K T
Complete Battery—Multiple-Choice Subtests
Sounds and Letters 40 30 40 25
Word Study Skills 30 20 30 20 30 20 30 20
Word Reading 30 15 30 25 30 25
Sentence Reading 30 30 30 30
Reading Vocabulary 30 20 30 20 30 20 30 20 30 20 30 20 30 20 30 20 30 20 30 20
Reading Comprehension 40 40 40 40 54 50 54 50 54 50 54 50 54 50 54 50 54 40 54 40 54 40
Total Reading 70 45 100 80 130 115 100 80 114 90 114 90 84 70 84 70 84 70 84 70 84 60 84 60 84 60
Mathematics 40 30 40 30 50 50 50 50 50 50
Mathematics Problem Solving 42 50 44 50 46 50 48 50 48 50 48 50 48 50 48 50
Mathematics Procedures 30 30 30 30 30 30 32 30 32 30 32 30 32 30 32 30
Total Mathematics 72 80 74 80 76 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 80
Language 40 40 48 45 48 45 48 45 48 45 48 45 48 45 48 45 48 40 48 40 48 40
Spelling 36 30 36 30 38 35 40 35 40 35 40 35 40 35 40 35 40 30 40 30 40 30
Listening To Words and Stories 40 30 40 30
Listening 40 30 40 30 40 30 40 30 40 30 40 30 40 30 40 30
Environment 40 30 40 30 40 30 40 30
Science 40 25 40 25 40 25 40 25 40 25 40 25 40 25 40 25 40 25
Social Science 40 25 40 25 40 25 40 25 40 25 40 25 40 25 40 25 40 25
Basic Battery* 150 105 180 140 318 295 298 265 316 280 322 280 292 260 292 260 292 260 292 260 222 180 222 180 222 180
Complete Battery 190 135 220 170 358 325 338 295 396 330 402 330 372 310 372 310 372 310 372 310 302 230 302 230 302 230
2 hrs. 2 hrs. 5 hrs. 4 hrs. 5 hrs. 5 hrs. 5 hrs. 5 hrs. 5 hrs. 5 hrs. 3 hrs. 3 hrs. 3 hrs.
Total Testing Time 15 min. 50 min. 25 min. 55 min. 30 min. 30 min. 10 min. 10 min. 10 min. 10 min. 50 min. 50 min. 50 min.
Abbreviated Battery—Multiple-Choice Subtests
Word Study Skills 20 11 20 11 20 12 20 12
Word Reading 20 17
Sentence Reading 20 20
Reading Vocabulary 20 14 20 14 20 14 20 14 20 14 20 14 20 14 20 14 20 14 20 14
Reading Comprehension 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30
Total Reading 90 78 70 55 70 56 70 56 50 44 50 44 50 44 50 44 50 44 50 44 50 44
Mathematics 30 30 30 30 30 30
Mathematics Problem Solving 30 34 30 34 30 33 30 33 30 31 30 31 30 30 30 29
Mathematics Procedures 20 24 20 24 20 22 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
Total Mathematics 50 58 50 58 50 55 50 53 50 51 50 51 50 50 50 49
Language 30 28 30 28 30 28 30 28 30 28 30 28 30 28 30 28 30 25 30 25 30 25
Spelling 30 25 30 25 30 26 30 26 30 26 30 26 30 26 30 26 30 23 30 23 23 23
Environment 30 23 30 23
Science 30 19 30 19 30 19 30 19 30 19 30 19 30 19 30 19 30 19
Social Science 30 19 30 19 30 19 30 19 30 19 30 19 30 19 30 19 30 19
Abbreviated Battery 230 212 210 189 240 203 240 201 220 187 220 187 220 186 220 185 200 160 200 160 200 160
3 hrs. 3 hrs. 3 hrs. 3 hrs. 3 hrs. 3 hrs. 3 hrs. 3 hrs. 2 hrs. 2 hrs. 2 hrs.
Total Testing Time 32 min. 9 min. 23 min. 21 min. 7 min. 7 min. 6 min. 5 min. 40 min. 40 min. 40 min.
NOTE: Stanford 10 allows flexible testing times. The testing times indicated above are guidelines to help administrators and teachers plan. * Basic Battery = Administration without Science and Social Science.
K = No. of Items T = Time in Minutes

4
 If a match was not found in grade 5 of the Common Core State Standards, an Example 2
alignment was sought in grade 6 of the Common Core State Standards, as An item representative of a Stanford 10 Mathematics Problem Solving item
Intermediate 2 is also appropriate to administer to a student who is in 6th grade for appropriate for a 6th grade spring administration is shown below.
5 or fewer months.

Item 1
If a match was not made at grade 6, an alignment was sought in grade 4 of the
Common Core State Standards, as every standard set features different cut-off
points, from a content standpoint and from grade to grade. However, often within Juanita’s bowling scores were 80, 99, 96, 82, and 93.
a span of ± 1 grade, an item is still appropriate from a content, context, and reading What was her mean score?
complexity standpoint and an alignment can be found. A. 80 B. 90 C. 93 D. 96

If no match was found within this span, the item would either need to be aligned
to a less specific standard on the original grade, or it may be considered not to
A sample of the 6th grade Common Core State Standards for Mathematics
align. The non-alignment decision is based on the judgment of the person using Aligns to: is shown below.
the item and the purpose for which the item is being used.

6.SP Statistics and Probability

What type of alignment was done for standalone items and how?
Summarize and describe distributions
The alignment was conducted manually by content area experts. Each item was
aligned to one standard based on content, intent of the standard, and grade 6.SP.5 Summarize numerical data sets in relation to their context,
level relevance. such as by:
6.SP.5.c Giving quantitative measures of center (median and/or mean)
and variability (interquartile range and/or mean absolute deviation),
To what level within the standard set were standalone items aligned?
as well as describing any overall pattern and any striking deviations
Stanford 10 standalone items were aligned to the lowest, most specific level of the from the overall pattern with reference to the context in which the
Common Core State Standards possible. data were gathered.

The goal was to align item 1 to the lowest or most specific level of the standards as
possible. Therefore, item 1 can be matched to 6.SP.5.c, the most specific standard
with the most appropriate content (finding the mean of a set of data).

Example 3
Another item representative of a Stanford 10 Mathematics Problem Solving item
appropriate for a 6th grade spring administration is shown below.

Aligns to:
Item 2

Juanita’s bowling scores were 80, 82, 92, 92, and 74.
What was the mode of her scores?
A. 74 B. 82 C. 84 D. 92
6 7
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 Item 2 does not align to the specific content in the standard 6.SP.5.c. as it assesses What type of alignment was done for passage-based items and how?
“finding the mode of a set of data” and “finding the mode” is not part of the content The alignment was conducted manually by content area experts. Each item was
of 6.SP.5.c. aligned to one standard based on content, intent of the standard, and grade
level relevance.
The next step would be to look at the 5th and 7th grade Common Core State
Standards to determine if the item matches one of the most specific standards
at one of those grades. It would be determined that “finding the mode of a set of To what level within the standard set were passage-based items aligned?
data” is NOT specifically addressed in grades 5, 6, or 7 of the Common Core Stanford 10 passage-based items were all aligned to the lowest, most specific
State Standards. level of the Common Core State Standards. Language Arts Common Core State
Standards can be either fairly specific in focus (Example 4) or more broad and
encompassing (Example 5).
The final step would be to return to the 6th grade Common Core State Standards
to determine whether a less specific level of the standards matches the content
in this item. It is clear that this type of item does match 6.SP.5, as 6.SP.5 is more Example 4, below, shows an item representative of Stanford 10 that can be
general and “finding the mode” addresses this more general standard. answered using information clearly found in the text of the passage.

Example 4
Alignment of Stanford 10, Form A, Passage-based Items

Passage-based item alignment will now be addressed. David’s town is called Hockey Town, USA because —
A. several famous hockey players were born there
To what grade or level were passage-based items aligned? B. it has more hockey teams than neighboring towns
Stanford 10 items that are associated with passages, such as the Reading C. his town supports a well known hockey camp
Comprehension items, were aligned to the Common Core State Standards D. hockey is a popular sport played by the most people
based on the Stanford 10 level of the passage. For instance, items belonging to a
Primary 3 passage were aligned to standards within the Grade 3 Common Core
State Standards. In the same manner, items in a TASK 2 passage were aligned to
standards within the Grade 9/10 band of the Common Core State Standards. The This grade 3 item aligns to the standard RI.3.1 found under
Stanford 10 levels and their correspondence to the Common Core State Standards the strand “Reading Standards for Informational Text.”
grade levels for this alignment are shown in the chart below.
RI–Reading Standards for Informational Text
Stanford Levels: S1 through T3 with Administration Windows Key Ideas and Details
RI.3.1–Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a
Primary Primary Primary Intermediate Intermediate Intermediate Advanced Advanced Task Task Task
SESAT1 SESAT2
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 3 text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Admin Admin Admin
Admin Admin Admin Admin Admin Admin Admin Admin Admin Admin
Grade Grade Grade
Grade Grade Grade Grade Grade Grade Grade Grade Grade Grade
9.0– 10.0– 11.0–
K.0–K.5 K.5–1.5 1.5–2.5 2.5–3.5 3.5–4.5 4.5–5.5 5.5–6.5 6.5–7.5 7.5–8.5 8.5–9.9
9.9 10.9 12.9

CCSS CCSS CCSS

CCSS CCSS CCSS CCSS CCSS CCSS CCSS CCSS Gr 9– Gr 9– Gr 11–
CCSS-K CCSS-K
Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 4 Gr 5 Gr 6 Gr 7 Gr 8 10 10 12
band band band

Corresponding Grade Levels in the Common Core State Standards for Language Arts
8 9
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 In Example 4, the item aligns to RI.3.1 because the item requires the reader to How Well Does a Stanford 10, Form A, Item Align to a
understand explicit information found in the passage to answer the question Common Core State Standard?
of why David’s town is called Hockey Town, USA. The standard contains very
specific skills that are assessed by this item, making the alignment to RI.3.1 All Stanford 10, Form A, items, standalone and passage-based, may not match
very appropriate. the entire content of a Common Core State Standard, as the Common Core
State Standards are somewhat broad and often contain more than one learning
objective and/or skill. However, the item will match at least one of the learning
In the next example, Example 5, the correct answer is neither explicitly found in objectives and/or skills represented in the standard to which it is aligned. Looking
the passage text, nor determined solely by inference. The reader must extend his at Example 3 in the standalone item section, the item is about “finding the mean,”
or her thinking beyond the text. while the standard is about mean, median, range, etc. The item aligns to this
standard, because part of this standard is about mean, one of the quantitative
Example 5 measures of central tendency.

Based on Mr. Calder’s customer letter, in the future, he will most likely —
A. buy KomputerKleen for his office staff Results of Stanford 10, Form A,
Alignment to the Common Core State Standards
B. recommend KomputerKleen to his wife
C. give KomputerKleen as a gift to clients For Mathematics, 98.5% of the Stanford 10, Form A, items align to the Common
D. watch for store coupons for KomputerKleen Core State Standards. Items are included from the Mathematics, Mathematics
Problem Solving, and Mathematics Procedures subtests, as applicable by
Stanford level.

This grade 5 item aligns to the standard RI.5.10 found under the strand,
Stanford Form A Mathematics Item Alignment to CCSS
“Reading Standards for Informational Text.” 85
80 77 80 80 80 80 80 79 80 79
80 76 73
RI–Reading Standards for Informational Text 75 72 71
74 73
70
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity 65
60

Number of Items
RI.5.10–By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational 55
50 50 50 48 50 50
50
texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical 45
40 40 40 39
40
texts, at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band 35
30
independently and proficiently. 25
20
15
10
5
0
This item requires extended thinking beyond the text. The task of “extending

SESAT 1

SESAT 2

Primary 1

Primary 2

Primary 3

Intermediate 1

Intermediate 2

Intermediate 3

Advanced 1

Advanced 2

Task 1

Task 2

Task 3
thinking beyond the text” is inherent to reading independently and proficiently,
and falls within the purposeful broadness of RI.5.10 in the Common Core State
Standards. Even though broad, this is the best alignment for this item.
Stanford Item Levels

Total Number of Mathematics Items Total Number of Items Aligned to CCSS

10 11
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 For English Language Arts, 100% of the Stanford 10, Form A, items align to the
Common Core State Standards. Items are included from subtests that are part of
the Total Reading Score and items from the Language, Spelling, Listening to Words
and Stories, and Listening subtests, as applicable by Stanford level.

Stanford 10 Form A ELA Item Alignment to CCSS

246 246 240 240 242 242

250
224 224
225
212 212 212 212 212 212 212 212
200

175 172 172 172 172 172 172

Number of Items

150 140 140

125
110 110
100

75

50

25

0
SESAT 1

SESAT 2

Primary 1

Primary 2

Primary 3

Intermediate 1

Intermediate 2

Intermediate 3

Advanced 1

Advanced 2

Task 1

Task 2

Task 3
Stanford Levels

Total Number of ELA Items Total Number of Items Aligned to CCSS

As shown in the last two graphics, Stanford 10, Form A, Mathematics and ELA items
align very well to the Common Core State Standards. The few mathematics items
that do not align reflect the differences between the curriculum and assessment
standards that were studied during the development of Stanford 10 and the
Common Core State Standards that were approved in June, 2010.

This strong item alignment to Common Core State Standards does not indicate
that Stanford 10, Form A assesses the entire breadth and depth of the Common
Core State Standards. However, Stanford 10 Mathematics and ELA subtests
provide valuable information about student performance on fundamental learning
objectives relevant to the Common Core State Standards.

12 13
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