Research, Assessment, and Data

The CAASPP/CAA test is intended to: 

• Determine whether your child understands and can use the skills needed for their grade level and 
• Ensure that all students are learning the high-quality Common Core State Standards for ELA and Math that were introduced in 2013.
• Allow schools and districts to assess performance and progress of all students, as well as gaps among particular student groups such as disadvantaged students
• Improve how students are taught
• Identify students who may benefit from additional support
• Affect district funding allocations from the government (a high percentage of students must participate for districts to receive certain funds)
• CAASPP scores can help high school students determine their readiness to take college level English and Math courses at a California State University (CSU) or California Community College (CCC). More information about Early Assessment Program (EAP) programs is available on the CSU's "Student Success" web page.
   

No, the CAASPP/CAA test is not designed to:

• Affect your child’s grades in school
• Influence whether or not your student progresses to the next grade level
• Be used punitively towards students, teachers, or schools
• Determine the incremental progress and growth a student makes throughout the year (we use other assessments to determine this)

• Talk about the test with your child. Help them understand that this is just a tool for seeing how much they have learned and in what areas they might need support. 
• Encourage your child to do their best so the tests can measure what they’ve learned.
• Take a practice test with your child.
• Make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and a nutritious breakfast before testing. 
• Help your child get to school on time on testing days.
   

The results from the CAASPP/CAA will be posted in your AERIES Parent Portal at the end of each school year. We will notify families when the results are posted.

By using Star Reading and Math assessments (together with other measures) your child’s teacher can: 

• Identify students who may benefit from additional support and the skills they need
• Determine and monitor the incremental progress and growth a student makes throughout the year
• Get an idea of a student’s reading achievement
• Identify specific standards and skills that their classes already know or need to know in Math and Reading
• Help teachers better meet the needs of students

No. Star Reading and Math assessments are not used to:

• Determine your child’s grades in school
• Influence whether or not your student progresses to the next grade level
• Punish students, teachers, or schools
   

One of the biggest ways you can help your student on the reading assessment is by reading to them at home or encouraging them to read independently. On the Star Reading Assessment report, you will see a link to AR Bookfinder where you can access books at your child’s reading level.

in addition, consider exploring information about each grade level's standards:

• English Language Arts/Literacy Standards
  • Grades K–2
  • Grades 3–5   
  • Grades 6-8
  • Grades 9-12
• Mathematics:
  • Grades K–2  
  • Grades 3–5
  • Grades 6-8
  • Grades 9-12
  •  
• AUSD’s Elementary Math Curriculum: Eureka Math Family Engagement & Support  
• AUSD’s Elementary Literacy Curriculum: Collaborative Classroom
   

Remember, this assessment is a snapshot of your child’s learning in Reading or Math. In addition to that learning, a number of factors can influence your child’s Star results, including feeling tired or sick on test day, having distractions in the classroom during the test, or getting anxious during the assessment. 

Additionally, state assessments and Star Renaissance assessments are different tests. Star is a 20-30 minute assessment used to determine whether or not your child is in need of immediate intensive support. The state assessment (or CAASPP) can take more than two hours and determines if your child has met the state standards for their grade level. 

Your child’s teacher can help you understand if your child’s results are part of a meaningful trend in their learning or if other factors should be considered.

Reports are only sent to all elementary families, although middle and high school families can request their child’s report from their teacher at any time during the year. 

Other reasons your child may not have a report include:

• They may have been absent or out of the classroom during the time students were tested 
• Your child may not yet be fluent enough in reading to take the Star Reading report (students need to be reading with ease to take this report)

Your child’s teacher can help you understand why there is a missing report.

Norm-referenced scores, such as percentile rank, provide a standard by which students’ performance is compared to that of their peers. One example of percentile rank with which you are probably familiar is the measurement of height and weight at the pediatrician’s office.

Assessing students multiple times a year is important to ensure that students are on track to acquire the knowledge and skills they need for their grade level. When we compare students to their peers in the winter versus the fall, most students’ scaled scores will increase. Therefore, if a student has a similar score in the fall and the winter, their percentile rank (the comparison of that student to others) will go down.

For example, a student who has a 1055 scaled score in the fall is in the 50th percentile rank for their grade level. If in the winter that student gets a 1055 scaled score, but other students' scores go up, the original student is now in the 35th percentile rank when compared to their peers in that window. In addition, Star Renaissance, the company which creates the tests, recently adjusted its norms, and that may affect your child’s percentile rank.

For more information, talk to your teacher.

Great news, your child is learning at a pace that predicts they will acquire the skills and knowledge for their grade level by the end of the year. 

However, the Star Reading and Math assessment is a snapshot of your child’s learning. Each grade level has its own academic and social emotional learning standards, and, while it’s important to get a general sense of how your child is doing, a 20-30 minute assessment cannot test your child on everything they need to know at that grade level. 

In addition, teachers regularly differentiate for students who have high scores and for those whose scores suggest they may need additional support. As such, you can be assured your child’s teacher will be providing them with the support and stimulation that is appropriate for them.

Advancing a grade level happens very infrequently because most children have not yet learned all of the standard for their grade level until the end of the year, and their needs can be met in their current classroom.

During the Star tests, students receive the accommodations identified in their IEPs, provided they are available. 

After the test, the data from this assessment will provide a snapshot of your student’s learning in reading and math, which can be helpful when considering areas of strength and areas of need.

If you have questions about either the accommodations your child is receiving during instruction and testing or their test results, please contact your teacher and/or case manager.

This assessment is a small snapshot of your child’s early reading skills. It is 15 to 20 minutes long and is administered to determine whether or not your student needs additional reading support inside and/or outside of the classroom.

While the ARM provides a grade-level equivalent score, it does not mean that your student has mastered all of the content or skills of that grade level. This assessment does not assess the content or skills of 1st grade when a kindergarten student takes it.

Remember, this assessment is a snapshot of your child’s early reading skills. 

In addition to your child’s learning, a number of factors can influence your child’s results, including feeling tired or sick on test day, having distractions in the classroom during the test, or getting anxious during the assessment. 

The differences in scores could also be due to differences in the tests. The Early Reading Difficulties screener is a 15-20 minute assessment used to determine whether or not your child is in need of additional support in early reading. Other tests may be used to determine if your child has learned what has been taught. 

Your child’s teacher can help you understand if your child’s results are part of a meaningful trend across multiple measures such as grades, teacher observation, and other test scores, or if other factors should be considered.

Your child may have been absent or out of the classroom during the time students were tested. 

Your child’s teacher can help you understand if there is a missing report and whether or not your student should be assessed.

 
Amira is administered three times a year, once in the beginning of the school year, and again in January and May. This ensures that we identify students who may be experiencing reading difficulties throughout the year. It also provides us with a richer understanding of your child’s reading development by looking at trends over time rather than a single annual test score.
 

During the assessments, students receive the accommodations identified in their IEPs, provided they are available. 

After the test, the data from this assessment will provide a snapshot of your student’s early reading skills, which can be helpful when considering areas of strength and areas of need.

If you have questions about either the accommodations your child is receiving during instruction and testing or their test results, please contact your teacher and/or case manager.

Most students’ scores will increase from the fall to the winter. Therefore, if one student's score stays the same in the fall and the winter, their percentile rank, or the comparison of their score compared to other students scores, will go down.

For example, a student who has a 2.3 ARM  in the fall is in the 50th percentile rank for their grade level. If in the winter that student gets a 2.3 ARM they are now in the 35th percentile rank when compared to their peers in that window. Your child’s teacher can help you understand if your child’s results are part of a meaningful trend in their learning or if other factors should be considered.