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Accountability and Assessments

The Standards Sequence Schedules provide a broad look at which standards will be taught at which point in the school year for each grade level of students in the Huntington Beach City School District.  The schedules provide a period of time within each academic school year that these standards will be the instructional focus.  The schedule does not mean they will not be instructed at other times of the year, it just emphasizes their focus during that time. 

English Language Arts (ELA)

Mathematics

Benchmarks Assessment Blueprints

The Benchmark Assessment Blueprints reflect the number of questions on each assessment that will reflect specific identified standards.  While all standards are important, this shows how the standards in the Standard Sequence Schedule will be assessed during each benchmark assessment period in the academic calendar.  

The Dashboard shows how well students within a district or school are performing on a variety of indicators, including test scores, graduation rates, suspension rates, English learner progress, and college/career readiness. The indicators are color-coded – blue is the highest rating and red is the lowest.

In the past, test scores were often the only measure of student success. But students are more than test scores. Looking at more data – and more meaningful information -- helps more precisely identify a district or school's strengths and weaknesses and highlights performance gaps between groups of learners.

Focus on Equity

The Dashboard's Equity Report shows how student groups are performing on various measures. Student groups include ethnic and racial groups, low-income students, English learners, foster youth, and students with special needs.

The Dashboard highlights inequities and helps communities align resources to improving student group performance through the Local Control and Accountability Plan process.

Supporting Local Decision-Making

The Dashboard supports California’s groundbreaking Local Control Funding Formula, which gives districts and schools more flexibility in using state resources and provides extra funding to districts and schools serving students needing extra help.

Local education communities know best how to address local needs. Top-down approaches of the past haven't worked because California is too big and too diverse for one-size-fits-all approaches to district and school improvement.

Continuous Improvement

California is continually improving our public education system to better serve students and families. The Dashboard will be updated each fall with new information and its design improved based on user feedback. The new California Statewide System of Support – which begins this school year – includes three levels of assistance to districts: Level 1 is support for all districts. The support includes workshops for teachers, classroom coaches, and sharing of "best practices" proven to help accelerate student learning. Level 2 is supported to districts and schools struggling to lift up the performance of one or more student groups. Together with partners, these districts will examine the factors behind low performance and develop strategies for improving classroom learning. Level 3 is state intervention for districts that fail to improve student group performance in three out of four years.

Working collaboratively with districts to provide support and assistance will ensure that struggling districts get the services they need to better serve their students.

Resources

CAASPP Purpose and Content

The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) administration consists of all online assessments. These assessments consist of the following:

  • Smarter Balanced Assessments
    Students in grades three through eight and grade eleven will take the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics. These assessments are administered online. 

  • California Alternate Assessments (CAA)
    The CAAs for ELA and mathematics in grades three through eight are individually administered to students who have an individualized education program that indicates the use of an alternate assessment on statewide assessments. All eligible students are required to participate in these online assessments.

  • California Science Test (CAST)
    The California Science Test (CAST) is an online assessment based on the California Next Generation Science Standards (CA NGSS). The CAST can be administered to all students in grades five and eight. 

  • California Alternate Assessment (CAA) for Science
    The CAA for Science can be administered to eligible students in grades five and eight. Only eligible students may participate in the administration of the CAAs. 

For additional information, click here.

Physical Fitness Test (PFT)

The physical fitness test (PFT) for students in California schools is the FITNESSGRAM®. The main goal of the test is to help students in starting lifelong habits of regular physical activity. Students in grades five and seven take the fitness test. The FITNESSGRAM® has six parts, though California currently requires five parts to be completed annually, that show a level of fitness that offer a degree of defense against diseases that come from inactivity. 

For additional information, click here

STAR

Star Assessments are short tests that provide teachers with personalized learning data for each student.

Star tests are computer adaptive, which means they adjust in difficulty to each answer students provide. This helps teachers get the best data to help students in the shortest amount of testing time (about one-third of the time other tests require).

Students may take a Star test for early literacy, math, or reading. Teachers analyze the data they receive from Star Assessments to learn what students already know and what they are ready to learn next, monitor student growth, and determine which students may need additional help.

Star Assessments are research-based and scientifically proven to help teachers guide each student on their unique path to proficiency.

For additional information, click here.

2022-2023 Testing Calendar