Assessment

ASSESSMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

There are numerous ways that students are assessed in Scotts Valley Unified School District.  Teachers use formative assessments that help guide instruction.  Trimester and semester report card data is based on summative assessments and district benchmarks.  SVUSD CAASPP tests are online and adaptive.

You can find more information at:  Smarter Balanced Website

Overview:

SVUSD follows a balanced assessment approach to gathering evidence of student academic achievement.  This balanced approach includes three levels of assessments:

1)  State assessments administered to students using California assessment guidelines.

2)  District common assessments administered to students in all schools using district assessment guidelines.

3)  School level assessments aligned to the district adopted curriculum and administered at the discretion of the school, based on student-specific needs.

STATE ASSESSMENTS:

CAASPP (Smarter Balanced)

The purpose of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) student assessment system is to assess a common core of academic content standards for English language arts/literacy and mathematics.  Smarter Balanced assessments are designed to measure student progress toward college and career readiness.

California Science Test (CAST)

California's statewide science assessment for students in grades five and eight and once in high school.

Physical Fitness Testing (PFT)

The PFT criteria represents a level of fitness that offers some protection against the diseases associated with physical inactivity.

TYPE

PURPOSE

WHO

WHEN

Criterion Referenced

Measures physical fitness level in six areas

All students grades 5, 7 and 9

Feb-May Annually

English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC)

ELPAC is used for identification and placement of English learners.  It is also a criteria used for reclassification of EL as proficient (RFEP).

TYPE

PURPOSE

WHO

WHEN


Criterion Referenced

Identifies students as English learners and measures their progress in learning English and proficiency

Newly enrolled students who have a primary language other than English listed on the Home Language Survey (HLS):  English learners take exam annually

Spring Annual Assessments

ELPAC scores of the students who took the annual ELPAC (44):

43% Well Developed (Level 4)

36% Moderately Developed (Level 3)

California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS)

The California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) is a statewide survey of resiliency, protective factors, risk behaviors, and school climate and has led to a better understanding of the relationship between students' health behaviors and academic performance.  

The CHKS is administered every other year in rotation with the Gallup Poll.

WHO

WHEN

Students in grades 5, 7, 9 and 11

Spring Bi-Annually

Gallup Student Poll

The Gallup Student Poll gives students a voice in building great schools, and results provide schools with important, actionable information beyond standard measures, such as grades and test scores, to help schools make students ready for the future.  Themes include Engagement, Hope, Entrepreneurial Aspiration and Career/Financial Literacy.

The Gallup Poll is administered every other year in rotation with the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS).

WHO

WHEN

Students in grades 5, 7, 9 and 11

Bi-Annually

DISTRICT-WIDE ASSESSMENTS:

District-Wide Assessments:  Administered to students in all schools to monitor the implementation of the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Common Core State Standards (CCSS), as well as to provide professional development for improving teaching and learning.  The purpose of the assessments is to monitor individual student progress, identify students who need intervention, inform instruction, and provide data for data teams and teachers.

Parents can find results to many district-wide assessments through the Illuminate portal.

Writing Benchmark

Measures CCSS Writing standards based on SBAC or Writer's Workshop rubric.  Focus is on Informational Writing:  Organization and Elaboration

TYPE

WHO

WHEN

Rubric-based

TK-Grade 12

Spring

MARs tasks

Measures CCSS Math standards currently practiced through Problems of the Month (POM) and strategies from Silicon Valley Math Initiative (SVMI)

WHO

WHEN

Kindergarten - HS Math Course 2

Throughout year

ELA Benchmarks

Measures CCSS ELA standards currently covered in the district adopted program as well as Core Literature; supplemented as appropriate.

WHO

WHEN

Grades 6-12

Throughout year

Math Benchmarks

Measures CCSS Math standards currently covered in the district adopted programs; supplemented as appropriate.

WHO

WHEN

Grades K-12

Throughout year

SCHOOL-BASED ASSESSMENTS:

School-based Assessments:  Administered to students in all schools to monitor the implementation of the LCAP and CCSS, as well as to provide professional development for improving teaching and learning. The purpose of the assessments is to monitor individual student progress, identify students who need intervention, inform instruction, and provide data for data teams and teachers.  School based assessments include the following:  Accelerated Reader, Fountas & Pinnell, content area benchmarks, and IB internal assessments.

SVUSD STUDENTS PERFORMED WELL AGAIN!

Scotts Valley Unified School District CAASPP scores: ELA

Exceeds/ Meets Standards CAASPP 2017

Exceeds/ Meets Standards CAASPP 2018

Exceeds/ Meets Standards CAASPP 2019

3rd grade

67%

68%

70%

4th grade

72%

75%

69%

5th grade

75%

79%

77%

6th grade

78%

62%

70%

7th grade

75%

80%

76%

8th grade

77%

76%

85%

11th grade

82%

80%

75%

Overall

75%

74%

75%

Every spring, students in grades three through eight, and grade eleven, take the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for ELA (English Language Arts) and mathematics. Student achievement scores are communicated with students, parents, and guardians, school staff, and the community.  The scores are used in conjunction with other indicators for student learning to help identify students who may need additional help, identify strengths and weaknesses in a program, ascertain gaps in curriculum and instruction, and to support all levels of learners.

To search Smarter Balanced Test results by School, District, County and State Scores, visit:  CAASPP/ELPAC website.