This spring, students in San Joaquin County joined students across the state taking the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) summative assessments in English language arts/literacy and mathematics. These tests are being taken by third- through eighth-grade students as well as students in the 11th grade. It is the first statewide administering of the online tests replacing the paper-based Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program.
This summer, you will receive your child’s results on the first statewide administration of this test. Given that this year’s test is new, you should consider these results a baseline for marking future growth.
We are in a transition period—we have identified new skills that students should master, we have been teaching those skills in new and novel ways, and now we are assessing progress with a new test. The scores on this test will not be comparable to last year’s annual test scores, as the old test assessed a different set of skills. Additionally, we have raised expectations for what students should be able to do, so this year’s results may show that most students will need to make substantial progress to master the desired skills.
This is OK because we are headed in the right direction. As students spend more time with the new curriculum, their skills will improve.
When you receive these test results, please support your child in areas that seem to be more challenging, and take time to celebrate all of the different ways in which your child has grown this year.
For more information about the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) system, please follow this link: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ca/