California State Standards and Assessment Information

 

California Testing in 2020: The assessments that comprise the 2020 CAASPP administration are a mix of online and paper-pencil assessments. The online component contains the Smarter Balanced English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics tests. The paper-pencil component includes CST/CMA/CAPA science tests.

Smarter Balanced: In California, all students in grades 3 through 8 and 11 will participate in the 2020 Smarter Balanced tests, which included both ELA and mathematics content areas. These tests are administered online.

California Alternate Assessments (CAA): The CAA for English–language arts and mathematics tests will be individually administered to students in grades 3 through 8 and 11 who have significant cognitive disabilities. All eligible students are required to participate in a field test of these new, online assessments in spring 2020.

California Standards Tests (CSTs): The CSTs in Science will be administered to students in grades 5, 8, and 10.

California Modified Assessment (CMA): The CMA for Science tests are to be administered to students in grades 5, 8, and 10 who have an individualized education program (IEP). Assignment of the CMA is made in the student’s IEP only; a student’s Section 504 plan is not to be used to assign a student to take the CMA (although accommodations may be named in the Section 504 plan or in the IEP).

 California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA): The CAPA for Science tests are individually administered performance assessments for students in grades 5, 8, and 10 who have significant cognitive disabilities and who are unable to take either the CSTs even with accommodations or modifications or the CMA with accommodations.

The California Department of Education has an interactive website that explains the tests and the reports generated by the test. Click this link to go to that website.