CA Assessment of Student Performance and Progress
CA Assessment of Student Performance and Progress
On January 1, 2014, the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System was established. The primary purpose of the CAASPP System is to assist teachers, administrators, students, and parents by promoting high-quality teaching and learning through the use of a variety of assessment approaches and item types. CAASPP is a system intended to provide information that can be used to monitor student progress and ensure that all students leave high school ready for college and career. CAASPP includes computer adaptive tests in English–language arts and mathematics as well as paper-based tests for science.
On this page you will find resources, guides and videos to understanding the CAASPP assessment and reports.
El 1 de enero de 2014, se estableció el Sistema de Evaluación del Rendimiento y Progreso de los Estudiantes de California (CAASPP). El propósito principal del Sistema CAASPP es ayudar a los maestros, administradores, estudiantes y padres promoviendo la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de alta calidad mediante el uso de una variedad de enfoques de evaluación y tipos de ítems. CAASPP es un sistema cuya meta es proporcionar información que se pueda usar para supervisar el progreso de los estudiantes y garantizar que todos los estudiantes salgan de la preparatoria listos para una carrera universitaria y profesional. CAASPP incluye pruebas adaptivas administradas por computadora en lengua y literatura en inglés, y en matemáticas, así como pruebas realizadas en papel para ciencias.
En esta página encontrará recursos, guías y videos para analizar los exámenes del CAASPP y los reportes de los exámenes.
STATE MANDATED ASSESSMENTS
South Monterey County Joint Union District’s assessment system includes a number of different tests used for a variety of purposes. Census tests are those taken by all students. They include:
California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP):
- The Smarter Balanced Assessment Summative Consortium (SBAC) assessments for grades 3rd-8th & 11th have three components:
- The Summative Assessments in English Language Arts and Math
- California Science Test for grades 5, 8 and once in high school
- California Alternate Assessments (CAAs) for ELA, mathematics and science: alternate assessments for students with disabilities who cannot take part in general statewide assessment programs.
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English Learner Proficiency Assessment in California (ELPAC)
Nine through grade twelve who have a home language other than English are required by law to be assessed in English language proficiency. The Initial ELPAC, given once upon entrance to CA public schools, allows schools to identify students who may need additional support to improve their skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English. Students identified as English Learners are given the Summative ELPAC test each year to assess progress in English Language development, until they can be reclassified as Fluent English Proficient (RFEP).
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Physical Fitness Testing (PFT)
The physical fitness test for students in California schools is the FITNESSGRAM. The main goal of the test is to help students start life-long habits of regular physical activity. Students in grades five, seven, and nine take the fitness test.
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California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS)
provide a comprehensive, data-driven decision-making process to guide efforts to improve school climate, learning supports, and engagement, as well as to identify and increase quality of health, prevention, and youth development programs.
DISTRICT BENCHMARK ASSESSMENTS
- Ensure that instruction across the District is aligned to the adopted Common Core State Standards and standards-based core curriculum.
- Inform teachers and administrators about student progress and effectiveness of instruction and materials.
- Provide disaggregated student performance data to teachers and administrators to make decisions that will improve teaching and learning.
- Assist in the monitoring of individual student progress in the core academic curriculum.
- Provide data to identify under-served students who need intervention and support services
- Illuminate Data and Assessment (DnA) is an online data management system for collecting, creating, scoring, reporting and analyzing formative, benchmark, and state-mandated assessments. It also supports progress monitoring of student achievement aligned to Common Core State Standards (CCSS). It helps school districts meet the state and federal testing and reporting requirements, empowers teachers to modify instruction based on assessment results, and provides data that school and district administrators can use to plan appropriate professional development and support.
Other Assessments
- College Board Exams: Group tests are those taken by a particular group of students. They include Advanced Placement (AP) exams and the college entrance tests (e.g., PSAT, SAT, ACT).
- Please note that South Monterey County Joint Union District’s Ed. Services oversees AP, PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, and ACT.
State Assessment Information for Families
CAASPP:
- SBAC Summative ELA/ Math
- California Science Test
California Alternate Assessments:
- CAA ELA/ Math
- CAA Science
English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC):
- Initial ELPAC
- Summative ELPAC
Physical Fitness Test (PFT):
- Physical Fitness Test
“Starting Smarter” Family Website for CAASPP
To help empower parents/guardians and families to become partners in their children’s academic success, the California Department of Education and the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium have created the “Starting Smarter" family website for the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) including information on Student Score Reports and resources for the California Science Test, the California Spanish Assessment, and the California Alternate Assessments.
Using this website, which is available in both English and Spanish, families can become involved in their child’s progress and:
- Learn more about the performance areas in each subject and grade.
- See sample test questions.
- Prepare for parent-teacher conferences with a useful downloadable
guide.
- Access high-quality resources to support learning at home.
You Can Access CAASPP and Initial/Summative ELPAC Student Score Reports Electronically!
Each year all students who are English Learners are assessed annually on their English Language Proficiency through the English Learner Proficiency Assessment in California (ELPAC). The California Department of Education has developed an electronic process for each school district to share student scores for ELPAC. All State Assessment Student Score Reports are available electronically through the Parent Portal of our Student Information System, "Q". Please note that due to the Shelter in Place Order and global pandemic the 2020 ELPAC and 2020-21 CAASPPs were not administered. In the spring of 2021, the MAP Growth local assessment was used in lieu of the 2021 CAASPP. Consequently, there are no reports for ELPAC/CAASPP for these years in ‘Q’.
Currently, all Student Score Reports for the previous three years of ELPAC are available in the parent portal of our Student Information System, Aequitas Solutions, better known as Q. All parents and guardians can access these reports by logging in to the Parent Portal and clicking on the Testing tab (on the left hand side of the dashboard), then scrolling down to "CA Electronic Score Reports" to view downloadable PDFs of the ELPAC and CAASPP score reports. It is recommended to access the parent portal with a desktop, laptop or tablet for optimal viewing.
Parents and guardians can access these reports by logging into the Parent Portal and clicking on the Testing tab, as illustrated in these links:
CAASPP Description
The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System was established on January 1, 2014. The CAASPP System replaced the Standardized Testing and Report (STAR) Program, which became inoperative on July 1, 2013.
The CAASPP System is intended to provide parents, teachers, administrators and students with accurate and actionable information about what students are learning. The CAASPP System encompasses the following assessments and student participation requirements. Information about the content and format of each test is also provided.
Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments (SBAC) for English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics in grades three through eight and grade eleven.
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California Science Test (CAST) Test in grades five, eight, and once in high school.
Student Participation: The CAST is required for all students in grades five and eight and once in high school (i.e., grade ten, eleven, or twelve) unless their IEP indicates assessment with an alternate test. The CAST includes stand-alone or discrete items and Performance Tasks (PTs). The discrete item types consist of selected response, constructed response, table, fill-in, and graphing. The PTs measure a student’s ability to integrate knowledge and skills across multiple standards through extended activities.
Content and Format: The CAST is aligned with the California Next Generation Science Standards (CA NGSS). The State Board of Education adopted the CA NGSS in September 2013. The 2017 administration of the CAST was a census pilot test, the 2018 CAST was a census field test, and the 2019 CAST was the first operational administration of the test. -
California Alternate Assessments (CAAs)
Student Participation: Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who are unable to take the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments even with accessibility supports and whose individualized education program (IEP) indicates assessment with an alternate test.
Content and Format: The content of the alternate assessment is based on alternate achievement standards derived from the CCSS for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The CAAs are computer-based two-stage adaptive tests. They are administered to students in a one-on-one environment by a test examiner who is familiar with the student. For more information click here for A Parent Guide to Understanding the California Alternate Assessments. Click here for additional translations in Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Spanish, or Vietnamese. -
California Alternate Assessment [CAA] for Science
- Student Participation: The CAA for Science is required for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who are unable to take the CAST even with accessibility supports and whose IEP indicates assessment with an alternate test. The CAA for Science is administered to students in grades five and eight and once in high school (i.e., grade ten, eleven, or twelve).
- Content and Format: The content of the alternate assessment is based on alternate achievement standards derived from the CA NGSS. The CAA for Science is administered to students in a one-on-one environment by a test examiner who is familiar with the student. In 2017, pilot year one the CAA for Science consisted of one embedded Performance Test (PT); pilot year two, in 2018, consisted of three embedded PTs; and in 2019, the CAA for Science field test consisted of three embedded PTs administered online. The CAA for Science embedded PTs may be administered anytime during the school's spring instructional calendar.
- Student Participation: The CAA for Science is required for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who are unable to take the CAST even with accessibility supports and whose IEP indicates assessment with an alternate test. The CAA for Science is administered to students in grades five and eight and once in high school (i.e., grade ten, eleven, or twelve).
PARTICIPATION IN STATE ASSESSMENTS AND OPTION TO REQUEST EXEMPTION (EC § 60615, 5 CCR § 852):
Pupils in applicable grade levels will participate in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) except as exempted by law. Each year, a parent may submit a written request to excuse his or her child from any or all parts of the CAASPP assessments for that school year. If the parent submits the exemption request after testing begins, any test(s) completed before the request is submitted will be scored; the results will be included in the pupil’s records and reported to the parent. School district employees will not solicit or encourage any exemption request on behalf of a pupil or group of pupils.
Additional Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) FAQ
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The computer adaptive portion of the online test includes a wide variety of item types. As students progress throughout a CAT, the computer program adjusts the difficulty of questions throughout the assessment based on their responses. For example, a student who answers a question correctly will receive a more challenging item, while an incorrect answer generates an easier question.
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The PT is designed to provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to apply their knowledge and higher order thinking skills to explore and analyze a complex, real world scenario. Prior to the PT, teachers or instructional staff conduct a Classroom Activity for all students to ensure that a lack of understanding of the context of the task does not interfere with a student’s ability to address the content of the task.
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Computer testing with these types of response options are new for many students.
SELECTED RESPONSE:
- Single Correct (traditional multiple choice)
- Multiple Correct
- Evidence Based Response:
Two-part multiple choice
Tell me the answer and then why is that answer correct
Have to get all questions correct to get it correct - Matching Tables
- Yes/No
- True/False
- Select or order text or graphics
- Complex drag and drop
CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE:
- Fill-In Tables
- Graphing
- Equation or numeric response
- Short Text
- Long Essay
- Performance Tasks
CAASPP Information
For more information regarding CAASPP, please click on the link to visit the CAASPP System Website or go to California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System