On Oct. 18, the state is set to release the public results of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) from the 2022-23 school year. This article does not aim to compare or examine results in our county but rather to help with reading these results as you receive them for your child, and to understand how you can use them to help your child succeed.

What Is the CAASPP?

The CAASPP is California’s comprehensive assessment system, designed to gauge student achievement in English language arts (ELA), mathematics, and science. This assessment is administered to students in grades 3-8 and 11. 

The CAASPP consists of “computer-based tests,” which is mostly multiple choice, and “performance tasks” that measure a student’s understanding of key concepts and skills such as in writing or more detailed math problems. In ELA, students are tested in four main areas: listening, reading, research, and writing. In mathematics, the test is organized into three main areas: communicating reasoning, concepts and procedures, and problem solving and modeling/data analysis. 

Interpreting CAASPP Scores

CAASPP test scores are reported in terms of scaled scores, performance levels, and achievement levels. Here’s a breakdown of how to interpret them:

Scaled Scores: Scaled scores provide a numeric representation of a student’s performance. They are designed to allow for comparisons across different test forms and years. 

Performance Levels: CAASPP scores are categorized into four performance levels, which describe a student’s overall performance. These performance levels are:

1. Standard Not Met: Students at this level did not demonstrate a satisfactory understanding of the subject matter. 
2. Standard Nearly Met: Students at this level showed some understanding of the subject matter but did not meet the standard. 
3. Standard Met: Students at this level met the required standard and are considered proficient in the subject. 
4. Standard Exceeded: Students at this level went beyond the required standard and demonstrated advanced proficiency in the subject.

Achievement levels are an even broader category that lumps some of the four performance levels. Performance level 1 is considered “below standard,” performance level 2 is “near standard,” and performance levels 3 and 4 are called “at or above standard.”

Taking Action Based on CAASPP Scores

Once you’ve received your student’s CAASPP scores, it’s essential to use this information to guide educational decisions. Here are some steps you can take:

• Review the Report: Carefully review the different subjects provided and score history. Celebrate any improvements with your student. 
• Discuss Results with Teachers: Schedule a meeting with your child’s teacher to discuss the scores. Teachers can offer valuable insights into your child’s strengths and areas in need of improvement.
• Identify Areas of Improvement and Set Goals: Based on the scores, work with teachers and educational professionals to identify specific areas where your child may need extra support in areas that they are not yet meeting standards or enrichment in areas they are exceeding standards.
• Access Additional Resources: If your child’s scores indicate a need for additional support, inquire about available resources, such as tutoring or after-school programs.

You can also access a free educational resource that provides tools like sample test questions by grade and subject areas at https://ca.startingsmarter.org/
 

In the world of education, a silent but serious barrier for students can go unnoticed: absenteeism. When students attend school consistently, they have the opportunity to engage with their peers, build relationships with educators, and take in the knowledge crucial for their success.

The Importance of Consistent Attendance

Chronic absenteeism, typically defined as missing 10% or more of the school year, can have severe repercussions. Adequate attendance is the cornerstone of academic achievement, which is true across all grades from preschool through 12th grade.

Study after study including before and after the pandemic show that students who miss more school than their peers consistently score lower on standardized tests and can even fail to graduate. In primary grades, absenteeism can mean risking the child’s ability to master reading by the end of 3rd grade. For example, chronically absent students in kindergarten score lower in math overall and language arts testing segments like letter recognition.

Absenteeism is also a habit that can start early and continue through high school if not curbed in the primary grades. Statistics show that about one-third of chronically absent students in preschool will also be chronically absent in kindergarten. Further out, chronically absent students in preschool are five times more likely to be chronically absent in second grade and so on.

Besides the negative impact on student performance and their social-emotional wellbeing, chronic absenteeism also affects a school’s funding, which is based on each child’s attendance. Less revenue means fewer programs and supplies to help make school engaging. For teachers, it means spending extra time creating make-up work and trying to figure out how to provide interventions for those who are weeks or even months behind their peers.

Addressing the Root Causes

Addressing chronic absenteeism requires a multifaceted approach involving schools, families, and communities working together to provide support, resources, and interventions to help students overcome attendance barriers. Chronic absenteeism is unfortunately more common for low-income students due to barriers like unstable housing, unreliable transportation and a lack of health care access. These are issues that require a whole-community approach.

Schools, families, and communities must collaborate to create a supportive environment that mitigates these challenges. According to an EdSource data analysis in 2017-18, in California it is often rural areas that have rates of chronic absenteeism above 20 percent.

The top 10 districts in that analysis were all rural. Many schools in this data analysis, like in Plumas County, point to trauma, housing instability, and income challenges. For example, schools report including in our own county that older students often stay home to take care of their sick, younger sibling so the parents can still work.

A group of districts in Shasta County is working to better address the varying needs and challenges our rural student’s face and how that impacts their ability to get to school. This group is finding that the most valuable step in addressing absences is talking with families about what is happening in their lives. In some cases, there may be extensive resources and assistance that the family needs from multiple government agencies, and in other cases it may be as simple as getting the student an alarm clock.

This rural picture fits in with case studies across the nation about the relationship between families and their ability to prioritize school. For example, studies show that there is a strong correlation between regular attendance and positive parental beliefs about the importance of school. As well, schools with strong parent involvement and where parent surveys show a trust in teachers, also have stronger attendance.

These trends mean that building a culture of attendance awareness requires the active involvement of the entire community. Schools, parents, local government, businesses, and nonprofits must come together to support students and families facing attendance challenges. Trinity County Office of Education is also helping coordinate these types of efforts with the “Community Schools Grant” that several schools in our county received. The community school grant supports schools’ efforts to partner with local agencies to improve student outcomes.

Highlighting other practices that many of our schools in Trinity County take is the establishment of attendance teams in schools, comprising teachers, counselors, and support staff. These teams identify at-risk students, develop strategies to support them, and connect families with necessary resources.

Positive reinforcement can also play a role in improving attendance. Schools often implement reward programs, such as attendance certificates or recognition assemblies, to celebrate students who consistently attend school. Incentives, like school supplies or special privileges, can motivate students to prioritize attendance.

K-12 attendance awareness is more than just a concern for educators; it’s a collective responsibility of communities. There are resources for students and families like the McKinney-Vento program for families who are doubled up with other families or experiencing homelessness, for example, programs like CalFresh and more that can help lessen the barriers that our students face.

To utilize these resources, this means families and schools must talk to each other. By helping to address the root causes of chronic absenteeism and supporting a positive view toward the importance of education, communities can pave the way for every student to reach their full potential.

We are excited to launch our new and improved website that is now searchable, includes a more robust staff directory, easier navigation and organization, a news section, and much more to come! Our new website is also mobile friendly.

We also have many more features coming soon to the website. For example, we're also working on the following features:

1. Staff profile information in our directory so you know who to contact about which program.
2. More specific program information like UPK and facilities news.
3. More news and professional development posted as we receive it.
4. We are working on a mobile app too!

As with any new endeavor at TCOE, we are open to feedback. Please share any information you'd be interested in seeing on our new website as we continue to add more, and also let us know if you find anything on our new website that you think is inaccurate so we can promptly fix. Let us know by sending us an email at comms@tcoek12.org.

TCOE Dispatch 2023-08 by TCOE Communications

 You can view the June 2023 edition of TCOE Dispatch below (hover over bottom of publication page to make full screen) or you can open in a new window here: https://bit.ly/TCOEDispatch4

TCOE Dispatch 2023-06 by TCOE Communications