CAASPP Parent Notification Letters
Dear Parent/Guardian:
Each year, students in grades three through eight and high school participate in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) Assessment System. Depending on the grade level and instructional program in which your child is enrolled, your child may have to take one or more of the following tests:
- Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for English language arts (ELA) and mathematics are required in grades 3–8 and 11. Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities take the California Alternate Assessment (CAA) for ELA and Mathematics.
- California Science Test (CAST) is required in grades 5 and 8 and once in grade 11 or grade 12. Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities take the CAA for Science.
- California Spanish Assessment (CSA) is a required test for Spanish-speaking English Learners in grades 3–8 and high school.
Carnegie Middle School will start administering CAASPP assessments on May 10, 2022. To make sure your child feels comfortable taking tests, you can:
- Explain to your child that these tests are tools to help them learn and they should not be anxious or scared.
- Explore the practice tests with your child at https://www.caaspp.org/practice-and-training/index.html so they can become familiar with the platform and setup of the tests.
- Remind your child that you and their teacher want them to try their best and are there to help, every step of the way.
In early fall of 2022, the state will make available your child’s score report, which will include the scores for all the tests your child takes this spring. When combined with other measures such as grades, classwork, and teacher observations, these test scores give families and teachers a more complete picture of the student’s learning. You can securely access, download, and print your child’s current and prior year’s test score reports in the Parent Portal https://parentportalapp.lausd.net/parentaccess/
Parents or guardians have the option of exempting their child(ren) from participating in the CAASPP program. However, if you would like to exempt your child, you must submit your request in writing to our school as soon as possible so we can make alternative arrangements for your child on the date of the test.
To learn more about CAASPP, go to the Starting Smarter web page at https://ca.startingsmarter.org/ or review the Parent Guides to Understanding at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ca/parentguidetounderstand.asp.
At Carnegie Middle School, our goal is for all students to achieve their full potential. The CAASPP test results are one way we can better understand if we are meeting that goal. Thank you for all that you do to partner with us in your child’s education. If you have any questions regarding CAASPP testing at our school, please contact Phillip Ivie at (310) 952-5715 or [email protected].
Sincerely,
Jenaro Torres