Chico Unified School District ranks "adequately higher" than the state average in California Standardized testing, according to the principal of Chico Junior High.
“We did test higher than the state average, but the question is, is that an improvement?” Principal Pedro Calderra asked. “My school scored above proficient, a significant improvement from last year, but is that good?”
Calderra explain that his students and teachers are not yet familiar with what the CAASPP test results portray because of how new it is.
This test is more applicable to students’ problem-solving skills than their ability to obtain knowledge. The program that Chico Unified uses to pretest this curriculum is called Common Core.
This test is more applicable to students’ problem-solving skills than their ability to obtain knowledge. The program that Chico Unified uses to pretest this curriculum is called Common Core.
Common Core is a set of standards that describe what students should know and be able to do in each subject in each grade. In California, the State Board of Education decides on the standards for all students, from kindergarten through high school. The California Department of Education helps schools make sure that all students are meeting the standards.
Beginning with the 2013-14 school year, California public schools switched to a standardized testing program called California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). Previously Chico schools used a standardized testing method called STAR testing. This stands for California Standardized Testing and Reporting and had been the primary form of testing prior to the CAASPP.
The STAR test was implemented in 1999 until it was replaced by CAASPP in 2013. The new test focuses more on analytical thinking, problem solving and communications. STAR emphasized material students should know. Because of these factors, the two tests are not easily correlated.
The STAR test was implemented in 1999 until it was replaced by CAASPP in 2013. The new test focuses more on analytical thinking, problem solving and communications. STAR emphasized material students should know. Because of these factors, the two tests are not easily correlated.
State schools chief Tom Torlakson sent out a news release in June recognizing the state’s overall improvement in the CAASPP the second year around.
"These tests were created specifically to gauge each student's performance as they develop—grade by grade—the skills called for by the state's more rigorous academic standards, including the ability to write clearly, think critically, and solve problems," Torlakson wrote.
"No single assessment can provide teachers with all the feedback they need to tailor instruction to meet the needs of their students, but CAASPP represents an important indicator of progress toward career and college readiness."
"No single assessment can provide teachers with all the feedback they need to tailor instruction to meet the needs of their students, but CAASPP represents an important indicator of progress toward career and college readiness."
According to the state Department of Education, students scores are reported on four levels. Level one means standards were not met and level four means above proficiency.
