A+ for IUSD students
By Irvine City News staff
Standardized test results are out for California students who participated in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress tests last spring. For the third year in a row, Irvine Unified School District ranks second highest in the state among public school districts with 25,000 or more students, based on test results where students met or exceeded the standards in English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA) and Mathematics.
Scores for the tests are separated into four levels of achievement: standards exceeded, met, nearly met and not met.
Among IUSD students taking the tests, 77 percent met or exceeded the state standards in English Language Arts and Literacy, while 74 percent of test-takers met or exceeded standards in Mathematics
IUSD state standardized assessment scores have outperformed both California (50% English and 39% math) and Orange County 58% English 49% Math) score averages.
“There are many reasons to be proud of our outstanding IUSD students,” says IUSD Board of Education President Sharon Wallin. “These results highlight our special partnership between our dedicated and talented students, families, teachers and staff.”
The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress was administered in the spring to more than 3 million students in grades 3 to 8 and 11. It is a computer-adaptive assessment that bases follow-up questions on students’ answers in real time.
This is the fourth year of the computer-based tests, which use California’s challenging academic standards and ask students to write clearly, think critically, and solve complex problems, as they will need to do in college and 21st-century careers. The tests are designed to provide information on each student’s progress on state standards.
IUSD students in grades three through eight and grade 11 participated in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) tests in ELA and Mathematics last spring.
The scores are just one of many measures of student performance, IUSD officials point out. The results help enhance the district’s understanding of each student’s needs and help improve student learning.
“IUSD is guided by its Continuous Improvement Efforts, which are designed to develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration and other learning outcomes also found in state standards,” says IUSD Superintendent Terry Walker. “Building these essential capacities in our students has been an integral focus of IUSD’s educational mission and vision since its inception. The district will continue to leverage limited resources to maximize collaboration and connections with our students, parents, staff and community partners, as we strive to develop well rounded students, who are college and career ready in an ever changing and competitive world.”
The test scores will make up a key ingredient of the California School Dashboard, a new system for evaluating school performance. The California Department of Education will use the test results in conjunction with graduation rates, suspension and absenteeism figures, college and career readiness data, and other measures to determine if school districts and individual schools are meeting progress outlooks.
IUSD will use the scores to better understand each student’s learning and help the district to continue to improve upon the high-quality instruction we provide. The scores will not be used to determine student advancement to the next grade level or as the sole piece of information when making academic decisions about students, according to the district.
IUSD officials suggest that assessment scores should be recognized as only one measure when evaluating student learning; they provide some but not all information about a student’s knowledge and skills. Results from tests should be reviewed in combination with other measures, such as in-class assignments, classroom tests, and teacher input.
Scores for the tests are separated into four levels of achievement: standards exceeded, met, nearly met and not met.
Among IUSD students taking the tests, 77 percent met or exceeded the state standards in English Language Arts and Literacy, while 74 percent of test-takers met or exceeded standards in Mathematics
IUSD state standardized assessment scores have outperformed both California (50% English and 39% math) and Orange County 58% English 49% Math) score averages.
“There are many reasons to be proud of our outstanding IUSD students,” says IUSD Board of Education President Sharon Wallin. “These results highlight our special partnership between our dedicated and talented students, families, teachers and staff.”
The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress was administered in the spring to more than 3 million students in grades 3 to 8 and 11. It is a computer-adaptive assessment that bases follow-up questions on students’ answers in real time.
This is the fourth year of the computer-based tests, which use California’s challenging academic standards and ask students to write clearly, think critically, and solve complex problems, as they will need to do in college and 21st-century careers. The tests are designed to provide information on each student’s progress on state standards.
IUSD students in grades three through eight and grade 11 participated in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) tests in ELA and Mathematics last spring.
The scores are just one of many measures of student performance, IUSD officials point out. The results help enhance the district’s understanding of each student’s needs and help improve student learning.
“IUSD is guided by its Continuous Improvement Efforts, which are designed to develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration and other learning outcomes also found in state standards,” says IUSD Superintendent Terry Walker. “Building these essential capacities in our students has been an integral focus of IUSD’s educational mission and vision since its inception. The district will continue to leverage limited resources to maximize collaboration and connections with our students, parents, staff and community partners, as we strive to develop well rounded students, who are college and career ready in an ever changing and competitive world.”
The test scores will make up a key ingredient of the California School Dashboard, a new system for evaluating school performance. The California Department of Education will use the test results in conjunction with graduation rates, suspension and absenteeism figures, college and career readiness data, and other measures to determine if school districts and individual schools are meeting progress outlooks.
IUSD will use the scores to better understand each student’s learning and help the district to continue to improve upon the high-quality instruction we provide. The scores will not be used to determine student advancement to the next grade level or as the sole piece of information when making academic decisions about students, according to the district.
IUSD officials suggest that assessment scores should be recognized as only one measure when evaluating student learning; they provide some but not all information about a student’s knowledge and skills. Results from tests should be reviewed in combination with other measures, such as in-class assignments, classroom tests, and teacher input.