Assessment Spotlight, Issue 280

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 and ELPAC website .

Student Score Reports Status

The CAASPP and ELPAC Student Score Reports (SSRs) are being released. These reports provide students, families, and educators with a wealth of information about student performance. SSRs will continue to be released to local educational agencies (LEAs) as results are processed.

For more information about the redesigned SSRs, access the following resources:

• Key Messages About the 2023–24 Redesigned Student Score Reports (DOCX)
• Student Score Reports for CAASPP and ELPAC have been Redesigned! (PDF)
• Sample CAASPP SSRs at Starting Smarter CAASPP website
• Sample ELPAC SSRS at Starting Smarter ELPAC website

Videos and Quick Reference Guides for accessing student score reports can be found on the SSR and Reporting Resources web page on the CAASPP and ELPAC website.

Apply Now for Smarter Balanced English Language Arts/Literacy Item Review #1

Apply now to participate in the English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA) Item Review! This virtual event, hosted by Smarter Balanced, will be held on August 8–9, 2024. Educators will complete a virtual synchronous review of pre-field test items (questions) for ELA considering content, fairness, and accessibility criteria.

If you or educators at your site or LEA are interested in being considered for upcoming opportunities, including item writing, item review, and other assessment activities, visit the Smarter Balanced Educator Recruitment web page . Your participation will impact millions of students across the country and is an excellent professional learning opportunity.

June’s Featured Resource in Tools for Teachers—The Apple of My Eye

Fourth grade teachers can use this month’s Tools for Teachers science instructional resource, The Apple of My Eye (account required), to help students understand how they see light and objects. Using a phenomenon-based approach, students explore how light works by making observations and sharing data.

In this physical science lesson, students investigate color by observing how light affects the color of apples in a dark box. The goal is to use the science and engineering practice of developing and using models to help describe how light is perceived. Students then write and share explanations of their findings.

The lesson includes scaffolding tools, sentence frames, and formative assessment strategies like Think-Pair-Share, Peer-to-Peer Feedback, Four Corners, and Learning Logs.

To view this and other instructional resources, LEA staff need a Tools for Teachers account which can be obtained either through self-registration, described in the flyer How to Self-Register for Tools for Teachers (PDF), or through their LEA CAASPP coordinator.

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. Are you a new subscriber? For previous Assessment Spotlight issues, visit the CDE Assessment Spotlight web page.