Assessment Spotlight, Issue 262

Focusing on the CAASPP System and English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC)—and including, when timely, updates on California’s other statewide assessments. For questions related to test administration, coordination, and trainings, visit the CAASPP website and the ELPAC website.

California Educator Reporting System Updates

As of January 26, 2024, additional item-level information is available in the California Educator Reporting System (CERS) for the CAST and ELPAC Interim Assessments. For more information, access the CERS Update for LEA Coordinators email sent on January 30, 2024.

The CERS User Guide has been updated to incorporate CAST and ELPAC Interim Assessments in the description of system features and instructions for accessing results. In addition, the updated user guide describes an enhanced administrative feature for viewing and managing student groups.

In addition to the CERS User Guide, the CDE will be offering the following CERS trainings in the coming months to support LEA staff in the use of CERS:

• CERS—Beyond the Basics for Teachers (February and March)
• CERS—Beyond the Basics for Coordinators and Administrators (March)
• Accessing Summative Results in CERS for all LEA staff (May)

Registration can be found on the Upcoming Training Opportunities web page . If you have any questions about these trainings, please contact Nikki Antonovich, Coordinator, Sacramento County Office of Education by email at caaspp@scoe.net.

Science Practice and Training Tests

With the CAASPP testing window opening, the CDE wants to remind educators that the practice and training tests are available to help students become familiar with the types of questions and format of the CAST. Available for each assessed grade/grade span (i.e., grade five, grade eight, and high school), these practice and training tests include accessibility resources to match those available on the operational CAST. Students are welcome to explore and use any of the three practice tests regardless of their current grade level.

To accompany the practice tests, CAST scoring guides are available. These guides include the correct answers to and rubrics for the questions so students can gauge their understanding of the types of questions they will be asked on the CAST. In addition to the scoring guides are the CAST Practice Test Constructed Response Annotated Examples, providing examples of actual student responses at each score point level to selected CAST constructed-response questions. Teachers and students can use these examples to better understand how constructed-response items are scored on the CAST.

More information about the CAST Practice and Training tests is provided in the CAST Practice and Training Tests (PDF) flyer. Find the Practice and Training tests and supporting resources on the CAASPP Online Practice and Training Tests and ELPAC Online Practice and Training Tests web pages.

To receive future CAASPP updates and notifications, subscribe to the CAASPP mailing list by sending a blank email message to subscribe-caaspp@mlist.cde.ca.gov. For previous Assessment Spotlight issues, visit the California Department of Education Assessment Spotlight web page.