Over 3 million California students took California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) tests during the 2017 spring testing season. These series of standardized tests are used to measure student achievement for grades 3 through 8 and 11 in English and mathematics. Tests are administered entirely online and are computer-adaptive, which means the tests change in real time depending on how students are performing. A student doing well will see increasingly challenging and more difficult questions; a struggling test taker will see easier questions in an attempt to more precisely measure the student’s knowledge. The tests are aligned with California’s more rigorous classroom standards and test critical thinking and problem solving skills students will need for college and the 21st century job market.
Scores fall into one of four performance levels: standard exceeded, standard met, standard nearly met and standard not met.
- Standard exceeded means the student has exceeded the achievement standard and demonstrates advanced progress toward mastery of the knowledge and skills in English language arts/literacy needed for likely success in future coursework.
- Standard met means the student has met the achievement standard and demonstrates progress toward mastery of the knowledge and skills in English language arts/literacy needed for likely success in future coursework.
- Standard nearly met means the student is close to meeting the achievement standard and may need further development to demonstrate skills and knowledge required for future coursework.
- Standard not met means the student must improve substantially to demonstrate the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in future coursework
Understanding your Student's Score Report
- Video for Parents on Understanding Your Child’s Score Report (in English)
- List of Links to Understanding your Child’s Score Report (sample report, videos, guides)
- Guides to Understand Student Score Reports
- Sample Parent Letter Templates for CAASPP and CAA
Back-to-School Toolkit
The Back-to-School Toolkit is a collection of new resources that can be used at the start of the school year to communicate CAASPP results and other information to teachers and parents. The toolkit can be shared at such events and meetings as professional development meetings, back-to-school nights, Parent-Teacher Association/Parent-Teacher-Student Association meetings, parent-teacher conferences, school site council meetings, and English learner advisory committee meetings. Featured toolkit resources include:
• A PowerPoint presentation with full speaker notes that local educational agencies (LEAs) can use to highlight their CAASPP results, discuss the role of the summative assessment in a comprehensive system, and describe how parents and guardians can help support their child’s success
• Assessment Fact Sheets and A Parent Guide to Understanding, designed to answer key questions and provide parents and guardians as well as teachers with valuable information about the assessments in an audience-appropriate format and language
• A one-page flyer that highlights key resources, such as practice tests and the Smarter Balanced Online Reporting Guide Web Site, where parents and guardians can learn more about the assessments and how to support their child’s success
The toolkit is available on the California Department of Education (CDE) Back-to-School Toolkit.