IMPORTANT: 5/5/2008 - Per Jean Stevens' memorandum released this afternoon, ELA scale scores and performance levels--for authorized nySTART users only--will be visible in the ELA Tested/Not Tested reports on nySTART beginning Wednesday, May 7th.

THESE DATA ARE STRICTLY EMBARGOED for internal administrative use at local districts and schools, and cannot be discussed at public meetings or released to the public or the media until after the Commissioner’s press conference (currently scheduled for June 2008.)

Superintendents and principals are encouraged to use the results to make programmatic decisions for individual students. Results for students can be shared with teachers and parents. These data will be officially released in June with the release of ISRs (Individual Student reports) on nySTART.

On 10/29/07 the Grow Network discontinued the nySTART reports help desk due to nominal call volume.

STEPS FOR TROUBLESHOOTING potential nySTART issues:

• For general questions about nySTART report access and nySTART User accounts, first contact your nySTART adminstrator.
  • To determine your nySTART Administrator, see details on our Tips Page.
  • If your nySTART Administrator cannot resolve an issue (or if you are a nySTART Adminstrator seeking further assistance), contact your Level 1 data coordinator (below.)
• Questions about reports' data content (and/or the accountability system) should be directed to your Big 5 district data center or Regional Information Center (RIC) Level 1 data coordinator.
  • Level 1 Centers must first investigate and verify data locally (and gather appropriate documentation if necessary) before determining if it is a data/warehouse issue or possible nySTART issue.
  • Level 1 data coordinators are then responsible for escalating issues to the Information and Reporting Services (IRS) office at NYSED.
  • Level 1 data coordinators (or designees) will troubleshoot nySTART issues as necessary with NYSED using the BUGtrack* web application. *(for Level 1 support team members seeking a BUGtrack account, have your Center's lead data coordinator contact NYSED at the IRS office number below.)
  • All Big 5 and Regional Information Centers' points of contact can be found in Appendix M of the SIRS Policy Manual (link opens a new window.)
  • NYC-area public and charter schools should contact the NYCDOE Office of NCLB-SED Accountability Administration for nySTART report and data issues, nySTART administration, and general accountability issues. Contact daainfo@schools.nyc.gov or call 212-374-3990. NYC-area non-public schools should contact the RIC with whom they contracted; if they have not yet contracted with e RIC they should contact the IRS office at NYSED (below.)
  • The IRS office can be reached by phone (518-474-7965) or email:
    • For questions on State policy or interpretation of business rules regarding student data, write to studentdata@mail.nysed.gov;
    • For (non-urgent) suggestions and feedback on the nySTART web application, write to nystart@mail.nysed.gov;
    • Urgent inquiries about nySTART should be made by phone or posted to BUGtrack (as outlined above.)

  Detailed explanations of policies, rules and data definitions used in nySTART reports can be found in the documentation on our (Student Information Repository System) SIRS information page.