What is CAASPP Testing?
CAASPP stands for “ California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress. “ This happens throughout California. According to the California Department of Education, they state, “ On January 1, 2014, the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System was established. The primary purpose of the CAASPP System is to assist teachers, administrators, students, and parents by promoting high-quality teaching and learning through the use of a variety of assessment approaches and item types. “ Before CAASPP was STAR testing.
What is the purpose of CAASPP Testing?
Students take this test to see scores on mathematics, science, and English language arts/literacy. According to Advanced Education, Lara Miller states, “ State Testing in California is a critical component of the state’s education system. These standardized assessments check how well students are doing in school, show what they are learning, and help determine the overall effectiveness of California’s schools. “ Students are required to take these tests from 3rd to 8th grade, and once again in high school. You usually take these tests in 11th grade when you’re a Junior.
Do the scores matter?
Although teachers say the test doesn’t affect your grades, they do tell you to take it seriously. You may be wondering why, and the answer to that would be that if you are going to college, they use those scores to determine where you should be placed in certain classes. The California Department of Education states, “ Results are only used to determine a student’s placement after he or she has been admitted to the CSU. Some, but not all, CCCs accept EAP scores. “ So, incoming juniors, make sure to take CAASPP testing seriously, as it can be a big step for your future career goals.
Results from CAASPP Testing
CAASPP results from the year 2023-24 have shown that students struggle to meet/get good scores. Classtime blog has an article titled: CAASPP Results: Why Students Struggle To Meet Standards. Not only do they include the scores of last year’s testing, but why they believe students struggle. This is what they had to say, “ Unlike traditional standardized tests, the CAASPP introduces new cognitive stressors, namely advanced technology types, and also an emphasis on strategic thinking and performance-based tasks. Additionally, the phrasing and structure of the test questions often misalign with ongoing classroom instruction. “ So ultimately, it’s not necessarily the students but more the technology CAASPP Testing uses. On their site, they also share the scores. Here are their scores. They state, “ 35% of students met or exceeded math standards and 47% in ELA. “
CAASPP Testing Schedule At BPHS
It may differ for other schools, but here at Buena Park High School, CAASPP Testing is three weeks. The first week is dedicated to Science. 11th-grade students must complete their testing in their science class; if they aren’t taking a science class, they are then called into another room to complete the testing. The Second week is for Math, and it is the same process as Science. For those two weeks, classes are longer, so students have enough time to complete their testing. Last week was for English. This is the longest week because students have 3 classes a day, and classes are 2 hours long. English is the Longest week because they have the longest test. Testing started on April 7th through April 25th. Testing for 2024/2025 is now over!
Student Interviews
We first interviewed Junior Jennifer Trujillo. We asked her, “ How do you feel about the CAASPP testing? “Jennifer said, “ It’s interesting, it’s not too bad. “ Jennifer does find the testing necessary because the school is helping the students be in their right level of classes. We asked Jennifer, “ What are the words of motivation for your future self? “She replied, “ Pay attention, get your rest, and keep calm. “ To prepare for her test, she is going to study, take notes.” After testing, we asked her how she feels after testing, and she said, “ After testing, I feel like a weight is lifted off my shoulders, I feel accomplished. “ Jennifer said the testing was better than she expected because it wasn’t that bad. She thought it was going to be more stressful.” Jennifer’s advice would be to not stress, and as long as you try not to guess on the questions, incoming juniors would do well on their testing!
We then interviewed Junior Jocelyn Ibara. We asked her, “ How do you feel about the CAASPP testing? “ Jocelyn said, “ I don’t like it, I don’t want to do it. “ Jocelyn said she doesn’t find the CAASPP testing necessary, but it could be useful in some type of way. The next question we asked her was, “ What are the words of motivation for your future self? She replied, “ I think just to not stress out and to get off my phone. “ To prepare herself for the test, she’s going to eat breakfast and get some sleep. Another question we asked her was, “ After testing, how do you feel? She said, “ I feel very relieved, and I’m glad we don’t have to do this anymore. “ She feels like the testing was better than she expected because she thought it was going to be longer. Jocelyn’s advice for incoming Juniors who are going to take these tests next year would be, “ just make sure to pay attention and not play around. “
The next person we interviewed was Junior, Rafael Elifonzo. The first question we asked her was how she felt about the CAASPP testing. He said, “ I think it’s not necessary and pretty boring”. The next question was “Do you find the testing necessary?” Rafael said, “No, I don’t, I think colleges should just decide based on how they did throughout the years”. Rafael’s words of motivation are to “do good and try your best. The way he prepared himself for the test was, sleeping in, and eating in the morning. We asked him “How do you feel after the test?” He said “I think they gave us too long to do it because most students finished it the first day, and the rest of the days were a waste of time”. Rafael’s advice for incoming juniors who will take the test next year is to “try your best”.
The last person we interviewed was Junior, Daynarra. We asked her how she felt about CAASPP testing, and she said, “ I don’t like it, but it’s not that bad. “ One of the next questions we asked her was, “ Do you find the testing necessary? “ Daynarra replied, “ I don’t find it necessary, but I think it will be useful in the future. “ We then asked her,” What are some words of motivation for your future self? “ She said, “ Maybe to always try my best and to try hard. “ To prepare herself for the test she said she’s going to, “ By not being on my phone, and making sure to study. “ After testing she feels less stressed and happy that it’s over. “ She thinks testing was better than she expected because she imagined it to be a lot worse, more difficult, and with more questions on the tests. The last question we asked Daynarra was, “ What advice do you have for incoming juniors next year? “She said, “ Don’t worry about it too much and don’t stress over it because it’s not a graded test. “
Conclusion
CAASPP Testing is very important! Not only does it help put students where they need to be, but it also helps them to see where they need improvements. The only thing you ( students ) can do is NOT guess. Although testing does take long, your results would be worth it. Incoming Juniors, as you guys are taking these tests next year make sure you rest well, eat breakfast, and don’t guess. Take it seriously.
