CAASPP scores inch upward

www.acsa.org

October 28, 2024

California students are showing slight improvement in standardized test scores, reflecting efforts by educators and lawmakers to combat pandemic-related learning loss.

On Oct. 10, the California Department of Education released results on the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessment for English language arts and math, which are given to students in grades 3-8 and 11 each year. Scores were also released for science and English language proficiency. The tests are part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, or CAASPP.

During the 2023-24 school year, 47 percent of students met or exceeded standards in English language arts, up from 46.7 percent the previous year. In math, 35.5 percent met or exceeded standards compared to 34.6 percent the previous year. Science scores also increased slightly, from 30.2 percent meeting or exceeding standards to 30.7 percent in 2023-24.

Although Smarter Balanced test scores are improving, they have yet to reach pre-pandemic levels. In 2018-19, 51.1 percent of students met or exceeded standards in ELA and 39.7 met or exceeded standards in math.

“While the statewide trends are encouraging, we recognize that there is still a lot of work to do,” said ACSA Executive Director Edgar Zazueta in a message to members. “The data improvements haven’t crossed the pre-COVID-19 threshold, which will be the next step in the continuous improvement process for California public school students.”

In a news release, the CDE highlighted accelerated progress closing equity gaps for socioeconomically disadvantaged students, Black/African American students, and Hispanic/Latino students. For instance, Black and Latino student performance improved at rates that equaled or outpaced progress for all student groups. Socioeconomically disadvantaged students saw even higher year-over-year gains, with scores improving by 1.5 percentage points in ELA and 2.1 percentage points in math over the previous year.

Education leaders said the gains, especially among the most vulnerable student groups, were a result of investment in education.

“Our governor and the Legislature have, in recent years, prioritized forward-thinking investments in K–12 public education with a focus on accelerating learning and equity: community schools, expanded learning time, transitional kindergarten, and investments in literacy and math,” said State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond, in a news release. “Those efforts are paying dividends, and we need to ensure that these efforts to support learning recovery and whole child supports continue in the coming years.”

Below are snapshots of progress from a few schools and districts across the state.

Cold Spring Elementary School District This small, single-school district in Santa Barbara boosted its ELA and math scores by 5 percentage points each, resulting in 99 percent of students meeting or exceeding standards in ELA and 97.9 percent meeting or exceeding standards in math. That makes Cold Spring the highest scoring elementary school and highest scoring district in the state. Superintendent/principal Amy Alzina said research-based strategies such as data-driven instruction, before and afterschool support from classroom teachers and project-based learning have contributed to the school’s improvement. Alzina said her goal is to reach 100 percent of students exceeding standards.

“I am confident we can reach this goal because we share a clear vision of what excellence in education looks like,” Alzina said. “We understand the true meaning of equity. Equity is about keeping the bar high and providing support so every student can successfully jump over the bar. Our collective purpose among teachers, staff and parents is ‘To give every child every opportunity to be successful each and every day!’”

Heber Elementary School District Scores in this district of around 1,000 students in Imperial County increased by 4.85 percentage points in math and 2.21 percentage points in ELA. Superintendent Juan Cruz said a key element of the district’s strategy is the use of assessments aligned to state standards. These assessments allow the district to monitor student growth, identify areas of need, and set specific, measurable goals for improvement. Teachers in Heber are also empowered with effective instructional strategies informed by data analysis, and their efforts are bolstered by Teachers on Special Assignment, who provide targeted coaching and direct instruction.

“We are absolutely thrilled with these results, as they are a testament to the hard work, dedication and resilience of our entire district community,” Cruz said. “From the very beginning, we knew that by making strategic and intentional adjustments to our instructional programs, student supports and overall systems, we would see growth — and these numbers prove just that.”

San Andreas High School This continuation high school in the Tamalpais Union High School District experienced a dramatic increase in students meeting or exceeding standards in ELA, from 7.69 percent in 2022-23 to 62.5 percent in 2023-24. Principal Catherine Flores says the school leans heavily into trauma-informed practices and takes intentional steps to “create a school community that honors the brilliance of each student here.” She attributes this year’s CAASPP scores to efforts by staff to build relationships with their students, who typically resist testing environments.

“We took steps to address what would make them feel comfortable, what snacks would help with concentration, and what, if anything, would help alleviate the anxiety or stress of participating. Students offered feedback, and we all made it happen,” she said. “I know this isn’t measurable, but students knew we believed in them and felt that through our actions and conversations.”

Benicia Unified School District The rate of students meeting or exceeding standards in mathematics increased by 7.7 percentage points, which Superintendent Damon Wright credits to the hard work of educators, staff, and students as supported by the funding of districtwide professional learning and an instructional coach in math to foster common use of equity-aligned strategies in mathematics classrooms. The district’s use of Educator Effectiveness dollars, as well as additional sources of state and local funds aligned through the district’s Local Control Accountability Plan, focused on building a sense of belonging at school for all students while also building students’ academic knowledge and skills.

Compton Unified School District Students who meet or exceed standards increased by 2.5 percentage points and 2.9 percentage points in ELA and math respectively over the previous school year. The district in Los Angeles County has shown steady progress in math and ELA scores, far exceeding the state average for school districts with a high unduplicated pupil count and English language learner population, according to information provided by the CDE. Superintendent Darin Brawley attributes this increase in test scores across the board to the hard work of educators, staff, and students as supported by in-class tutors for immediate intervention, expanded tutoring both during and after school, and professional learning for teachers on meeting students’ literacy needs. The district is a recipient of a number of grants and has funded local intervention strategies using a combination of state grants, ESSER dollars, and additional funding sources.

Fallbrook Union Elementary School District The district in San Diego County saw its rate of students meeting or exceeding standards in ELA increase by 5.2 percentage points over the past year, while the rate of students meeting or exceeding standards in math rose by 5.9 percentage points. Superintendent Monika Hazel credits this progress to a strong shared vision of high expectations fostered by the entire school community. To support this vision, the district focused on creating safe, collaborative, and inclusive learning environments by investing in counselors, social workers, and behavior technicians at every school. Moreover, the district emphasized effective teaching practices related to student engagement and academic rigor.

Los Angeles Unified School District The rate of students meeting or exceeding standard in ELA increased by 1.9 percentage points over the prior year, while the rate of students meeting or exceeding standard rose by 2.3 percentage points in math and by 1.8 percentage points in science. In addition, students’ average scale score increased in every grade level and nearly every student demographic group for ELA and math. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho credits these increases to the hard work of educators, staff, and students as supported by investments in multi-tiered systems of support for learning, including high-dose tutoring funded by California’s Expanded Learning Opportunity Program and Title I dollars.

Santa Maria Joint Union High School District The rate of students meeting or exceeding standards in ELA increased by 10.4 percentage points, math increased by 3.0 percentage points. Superintendent Antonio Garcia credits this increase to the hard work of educators, staff, and students. Educator Effectiveness Block Grant funds enabled the district to invest in professional learning and educational technology to bolster student achievement during the pandemic; as those funds expire, the district has evaluated which programs most effectively accelerated student achievement and is dedicating continued local funding to these programs and strategies that have proven to create student success.