ELA Summative Overview
The CAASPP or “Smarter Balanced” assessments are administered to all California students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11 and measure English Language, Mathematics, and Science. The Math and ELA tests are comprised of two parts - a computer adapted test and a performance based task. They are typically administered during the last two months of the school year. The five separate tests that comprise the SBAC are untimed and require at least two weeks of time at each school to administer correctly. Results go to the state and are part of the Dashboard, DataQuest, and Ed-Data websites. Reports can be disaggregated by student disability status, economic status, EL fluency, Ethnicity, and Parent Education Level. The test is primarily used to evaluate the effectiveness of schools vis-à-vis comparable schools, particularly for charter renewal and accountabilty purposes. The 11th grade tests can also be used for community college course placement purposes.
What does the ELA Summative Test Measure?
The summative assessments are an annual measure of what students know and can do using the Common Core State Standards for English language arts/literacy and mathematics.The purpose of the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments is to assess student knowledge and skills in English language arts/literacy and mathematics, as well as how much students have improved since the previous year (student growth). These measures help identify and address gaps in knowledge or skills early on so students get the support they need for success in higher grades and become ready for college or a career. Content Standards can be found at this link: https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/
Test # 1 English Language Arts Computer Adaptive Test
The first test repeats the cycle of Computer Adaptive Test and Performance Task Test, this time in English Language Arts. The ELA CAT has approximately 35 to 50 questions that requires students to identify the correct answers from predetermined answers, enter their own "open-ended" responses with no answer prompts, and complete matching activities. Again, since there is no predetermined time limit, some students may even take 3 or 4 hours to complete each test.
Test # 2 English Language Arts Performance Task
The second test is a Performance Task (PT) test that requires students to complete a smaller number of more complex questions in response to extended reading selections. Similar to the math PT tests, students will complete this test in greatly varying lengths of time and technology needs and scheduling must be highly planned (and also flexible!) to accommodate the needs of each student.
Students receive an overall “scale” score somewhere between 2114 and 2795 for English language arts/literacy and between 2189 and 2862 in math. (Score ranges vary slightly based on grade level.) These scale scores fall into one of four achievement levels: (4) standard exceeded, (3) standard met, (2) standard nearly met, and (1) standard not met.
Content claims are summary statements about the knowledge and skills students are expected to demonstrate on the assessment related to a particular aspect of the standards. Within each claim area, assessment targets were developed to ensure that item writers and reviewers address the standards, learning progressions, and the Depth of Knowledge levels.
After students take the Smarter Balanced assessments, their results are reported in two primary ways: scaled scores and achievement levels. On this page, you can learn more about scores, as well as how achievement levels were determined and how they are used by educators and parents.
Scaled Scores - A scaled score is the student’s overall numerical score. These scores fall on a continuous scale (from approximately 2000 to 3000) that increases across grade levels. Scaled scores can be used to illustrate students’ current level of achievement and their growth over time. When combined together across a student population, scaled scores can also describe school- and district-level changes in performance, as well as reveal gaps in achievement among different groups of students.
What is a "claim"?
Claims are broad categories that summarize the knowledge and skills students are expected to demonstrate on the assessments related to a particular aspect of the academic standards. Each subject includes four claims:
ELA/Literacy: