Pleasanton Unified Releases Results of CAASPP Test Scores

Announcement submitted by Pleasanton Unified School District:

Results of the new online assessments have been released from the California Department of Education and Pleasanton Unified School District (PUSD) has much to be proud of. With these new assessments, students had to think critically, write analytically and explain how they solve problems. This was a change from the old multiple choice tests of the past, and our students met this change with open-minds and determination.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson unveiled the results of new online assessments administered to about 3.2 million students last spring. Because 2015 is the first year of the new tests and because they are substantially different from their predecessors, Torlakson said the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) results will serve as a baseline from which to measure future progress and should not be compared to results from the state’s previous assessments, the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program.

CAASPP includes a number of assessments, but the most widely given are the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments, which evaluate student progress on the California standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy, often referred to as the Common Core.

PUSD is proud of our students’ strong baseline results and would like to applaud our staff, parents and most of all our students for their dedication to preparation these last three years with the implementation of Common Core State Standards. PUSD’s efforts in focusing on the Common Core/California State Standards, aligning instruction and instructional materials and providing consistent professional development are being validated, having prepared students to meet the challenges of this new assessment.

PUSD Highlights:

• 75% of all PUSD 3rd-8th & 11th grade students have met or exceeded standards in English Language Arts (ELA), with 82% of 8th and 84.6% of 11th graders meeting or exceeding ELA standards.
• At least 71% of all our 3rd, 4th, 6th-8th grade students have met or exceeded standards in Math, including 79% of 3rd and 74.5% of 7th graders meeting or exceeding Math standards.
• 69% of our 5th and 67% of our 11th grade students have met or exceeded standards in Math

Efforts to close the “opportunity gap” among subgroups are ongoing, as we acknowledge the need to continuously provide academic interventions to English learners, students with disabilities, and our socio-economically disadvantaged students.

Overall, these strong CAASPP test results will provide an opportunity to focus on specific needs of students, to improve student achievement, and support teachers and schools in their continued work. Individual score reports will be sent out by the state to students’ homes by mail, likely by the end of September. More information on PUSD specific test scores will be shared at the September 22nd meeting of the Board of Trustees.

See Also:

• Four East Bay Schools Ranked Among Top High Schools in the Nation

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