Fact Checking Test Scores — GUSD Parents for Public Schools

Let's talk about standardized testing in GUSD.

Per state and federal law, GUSD students in grades 3-8 and grade 11 take the California State Standardized Test (called CAASPP) each year. Students in other grades are not required to take the CAASPP.

*Students who are in English Language Development in these grade levels in GUSD must take the math CAASPP, even if they speak no English. ELD students are exempt from the English Language Arts CAASPP for one year. Students who qualify for Special Education services may or may not take the CAASPP depending on their IEP or 504 plans.

From the California Department of Education (CDE): “CAASPP assessment results are only one measure of student achievement and proficiency.” This is why the CDE advises that “assessment results should be combined with other measures like report card grades, classroom work, and teacher observations to give families and teachers a more complete picture of each child’s learning and progress. Teachers and administrators should *not* use assessment results in isolation to make inferences about instructional needs.”