Students Show Growth in Annual CAASPP Results

Work continues toward closing achievement gaps.

Last week, the California Department of Education (CDE) released results from the fourth year of the student assessment system known as CAASPP (California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress) which show that Campbell Union School District (CUSD) students continue to make gains in English-Language Arts (ELA) and Math.
Each year, CUSD students in grades three to eight, participate in the annual CAASPP testing to measure each one’s ability write clearly, think critically, and solve problems. It is one of several ways teachers measure student progress toward meeting academic standards. Classwork, teacher-generated exams, and district-level assessments offer them more frequent, qualitative information.

Student-level Reports Were Mailed in Summer
In summer, the district mailed individual student reports to parents and guardians. October 15-19, CUSD schools will hold parent-teacher conferences at which parents may discuss their child’s results and education goals.

School/District Reports Show Trends
“As a district, we monitor closely the progress of all of our students, and we continue to work towards our mission of educating all students to their highest potential,” said District Superintendent Shelly Viramontez. “The CAASPP results show us district- and school-wide views of where we are making gains and where we need to intensify our efforts. Like many California schools, we have a persistent achievement gap for our second language and Special Education students.”
The district did see improvement this year for Special Education students, who made 4% growth in ELA and 3% growth in math. That number exceeds the growth of all students, who made growth of 1% in both ELA and Math — a growth level consistent with the state-wide trend.

A Common Goal for Educators and Families
“We are committed to preparing students for the 21st century workforce, and our new Profile of a Graduate initiative provides a cohesive focus for that commitment,” Viramontez said. The Profile of a Graduate calls for students to be self-directed, collaborative, innovative, empathetic, and critical thinkers.
“We invite parents and guardians—the child's first teachers—to partner with us. There are many ways they may take an active role in their child’s education,” she said. “Reinforcing school learning at home, monitoring your child’s progress, and developing a strong relationship with your child’s school increases a student’s chances for academic success.”