CAASPP scores released, remain flat
Published: September 27, 2017
Standardized test results for California student achievement largely stayed the same as last year, new numbers from the California Department of Education show. With 3.2 million students in the third, fifth and eighth grade taking the tests, 49 percent passed the English exam and 38 percent met the standard for math. Scores for African-American, English learner, Latino and special needs students also remained level with the year before.
The tests, known as the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), assess student progress in math and English. The Common Core-aligned tests are taken on a computer and adapt to student ability as the exam progresses.
“It’s important to remember that these tests are far more rigorous and realistic than the previous paper-and-pencil tests," California's State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said in a statement, pointing to California having lower scores than in the past.
The standardized exams, also known as Smarter Balanced exams, have been in place for three years and are designed to measure how well students are prepared for college and career. For instance, high school juniors’ scores are used to measure if they are ready for college-level work. This year, 28 percent of eleventh-graders met that standard.
Based on the recent results, a significant achievement gap remains stubbornly in place.
“These test scores tell us that there is much more work to do," said Julie Maxwell-Jolly, CSBA senior director of policy and programs. "If we want to close the achievement gaps, we will need to focus on closing the opportunity gaps that exist for many students. School districts will be looking at what local data tell them about student progress in their communities. As they consider how they should use the data to stay on course or make adjustments to what they are doing, they should keep in mind that, while important, a single test score is not the sole measure of student success.”