SRVUSD faces confusion over CAASPP testing during COVID-19: Here’s what we know
Despite the confusion of CAASPP testing, SRVUSD officials have thought of a more convenient alternatives in the era of COVID-19.
With most students currently enrolled in online school, questions about the administration of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) this year have been rising.
The answer is: no one knows.
CAASPP testing is used as a benchmark to compare the academic levels of students in California against defined standards. This test provides information on where individual institutions can improve and also impacts funding for a district.
Students must take the test every year between fifth and eighth grade. In the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, the test is also taken in third, fourth and eleventh grade, with the California Science Test (CAST) taken senior year.
District administrators in SRVUSD are still discussing what standardized testing will look like this year, and while more information may be out next week, there are a few details that can shed some light on the situation.
Currently, it is recommended that “we use FastBridge in place of CAASPP for measuring student growth and to be able to use that data on our school report cards,” according to Lauren Falkner, Assistant Principal at Dougherty Valley High School.
FastBridge is an online testing system that is used to measure a student’s learning in English and math and to determine the best teaching methods for students. It was previously administered to students in the fall of the 2020-21 school year.
A key feature of FastBridge is that it can be completed at home, online and on students’ personal computers easily, as opposed to CAASPP which requires a secure testing browser and district-approved technology.
A key feature of FastBridge is that it can be completed at home, online and on students’ personal computers easily
FastBridge testing will be open to students over a wide period of time and testing will open up in the next few weeks.
For each section of the assessment for English and math, “[the respective] teachers will be responsible for providing the link, and they may give [students] time in class to do it or it’d be something asynchronous,” said Charlie Litten, Assistant Principal at DVHS. “The assessment itself takes a student anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour.”
This testing is essential this year as it provides information regarding student learning and growth which was unavailable in the last year as the state didn’t conduct any standardized tests.
“[The federal government] gave us a waiver foregoing all state testing last year because we’re all in shelter in place and we’re in the midst of this global pandemic,” Falkner said. “This year, each state’s in a different spot… So they’re trying to say ‘we want you to report out on student progress but how you do that, we’re going to leave it up to you.’”
Although California tried to get a waiver for this school year as well, that request was rejected.
While FastBridge assessment is a guarantee, CAASPP testing itself may not occur. However, if this test were to be administered, district officials say that it would be in person in May, as logistical issues prevent the test from being administered online effectively. Similar procedures and precautions taken during PSAT and SAT administration would transfer over to CAASPP.
Aside from technical challenges, the district is hesitant to administer CAASPP for health reasons. For example, students that are recently vaccinated may feel unwell which could damage their CAASPP results.
Additionally, “We need to plan around [AP tests] and have the least amount of impact on students that are preparing for them,” Litten said.
However, CAASPP will continue to be implemented for future years when school returns fully in person.
“If you’re a junior [this year], you’ll take the senior Science test [CAST] next year,” Litten explained.
As a whole, information regarding standardized test administration has been constantly changing due to COVID-19 and state guidelines.
“We’ve had to be flexible through the entire process for us at the site level, and even for us at the state level… the winds have changed dramatically from where we started [preparing for CAASPP] in February,” Falkner said.
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