Measuring Results

State Assessments

Each spring, California students participate in the required statewide testing program, the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). The tests in CAASPP provide information to teachers, parents/guardians, and students about students’ progress and readiness for college and career. Students who have a significant cognitive disability (as designated in their Individualized Education Program) are eligible to take the California Alternate Assessments (CAAs).

Because CAASPP tests are given statewide, they provide an opportunity to measure the skills of all students against the same academic standards. Given online, the tests are computer-adaptive, allowing more precise measurement of individual skills.

Children in grades 3-8 take the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments or California Alternate Assessments for ELA (English/language arts/literacy) and mathematics. Testing will happen after spring break. Schools will send out specific dates to their communities.

Students in grades 5 and 8 will also participate in the California Science Test (CAST). 

Parent resources

The Starting Smarter website is a great way to learn more about these tests, break down score reports, and access parent resources to help your students with areas that need improvement. This page also provides parents with sample CAASPP test questions. To learn more about the CAAs, please read the Parent Guide to Understanding the CAAs.

Another great resource are the Practice and Training Tests, which can be found on the CDE’s Smarter Balanced Practice and Training Tests Web page. Here, parents can experience the kinds of questions that students will encounter on the tests.

The state requires a minimum of 95% participation threshold for CAASPP. We would like to encourage every student’s participation in state assessments to help us have a full picture of our students’ results. Under California Education Code Program Provisions, parents have the right to excuse their child from participating in the CAASPP assessments. If you have any questions regarding your child’s participation in statewide assessments, please contact your school principal.

California School Dashboard

The California School Dashboard features easy-to-read reports on multiple measures of school success, including test scores, graduation rates, English learner progress and suspension rates. The Dashboard is part of California's new school accountability system based on 2013's Local Control Funding Formula. The new system, which replaces the old API score that parents are familiar with, will evaluate schools and districts in 8 areas critical to student performance, including graduation rates, readiness for college and careers, test scores, and progress of English learners.

While state assessments give us important info about student progress, it is not the only measure of progress that the District uses.

i-Ready

In addition to CAASPP tests, MVWSD administers the i-Ready assessment three times a year. i-Ready assessments are important tools for teachers to adjust instruction to benefit every child, and for parents to monitor and support their student’s progress. With i-Ready, parents will receive regular reports about student progress throughout the year, and students will receive real-time progress data. To learn more, click here.

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