The primary purpose of the CAASPP System is to assist teachers, administrators, students, and parents by promoting high-quality teaching and learning through the use of a variety of assessment approaches and item types. 

Participation

Students in grades 3 - 8 and grade 11.

About

The Physical Fitness Test (PFT) is a comprehensive, health-related physical fitness battery of tests for students in California. The State Board of Education designated the FITNESSGRAM® as the PFT for students in California public schools. The test has five parts that show a level of fitness that offer a degree of defense against diseases that come from inactivity. The test results can be used by students, teachers, and parents. The FITNESSGRAM® consists of five fitness areas: Aerobic Capacity, Abdominal Strength and Endurance, Upper Body Strength and Endurance, Trunk Extensor Strength and Flexibility, and Flexibility.

Participation

Students in grades five, seven, and nine take the PFT.

About

The ELPAC system is used to determine and monitor the progress of the English language proficiency of students whose primary language is not English. The ELPAC is aligned with the 2012 California English Language Development Standards and assesses four domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Please visit the  English Learners page for more information.

About:

In July of 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 114 into law. This legislation, which took effect January 1, 2024, adds Education Code Section 53008, entitled “Screening for Risk of Reading Difficulties.” It establishes new requirements for both the State Board of Education and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs).

Under this law, LEAs are required to screen all students in kindergarten through 2nd grade annually to identify those at risk for reading difficulties, including dyslexia. These universal screeners are not diagnostic tools but serve to identify students who may benefit from early supports. Students identified as "at risk" must receive targeted services, which may include:

• Evidence-based literacy instruction tailored to specific student needs

• Ongoing progress monitoring

• Early intervention through general education

• One-on-one or small-group tutoring

• Further evaluation or diagnostic assessment

Participation: Student in Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd take the RDRS.

Please visit SB114 Overview for more information.

About

The State Seal of Biliteracy (SSB), per Assembly Bill 815 (Brownley, Chapter 618, Statutes of 2011), became effective January 1, 2012, and was amended in 2017 per AB 1142, effective January 1, 2018. California Education Code sections 51460–51464 establish the SSB program and its requirements. This program recognizes high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing one or more languages in addition to English. The SSB will be awarded by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in accordance with specified criteria set forth in the legislation.

How Do AUSD Students Qualify to Apply for the SSB?

During the month of April, AUSD will preview three assessment suites as a result of our 3 year iReady contract expiring in June 2025.

Below is important information for administrators and educators to review. We invite all educators to join our voluntary informational vendor sessions and to be part of the selection process!

Criteria for consideration on selection of assessment platform:

• Diagnostic assessments in ELA and math for K-8th grade students (up to 3 times a year) that are evidence based and nationally normed. 

• Individualized instructional components aligned to assessment levels to support intervention and acceleration. 

• Digitized reporting features in English and Spanish for student and family communication and goal setting.  

• Assessment results that can be utilized for basic skills criteria for reclassification of English Learners. 

• Ideally, a Spanish component for both language arts and math for our Dual Immersion programs.  Although this is highly desired, it is not a required component. 

3 Systems for Consideration: 

• IReady: This system will be considered due to our historical work with the program and our familiarity that would reduce and eliminate start up training and PD required with staff and administration. 

• NWEA/MAP: This is being considered as it has each of the required components available that we require for an assessment suite available.  Although we anticipate training/PD being necessary, Ed Services currently uses many of the NWEA functions and platform in our Read 180 programs at the middle and high school levels so there will be less of a need than if the system was completely foreign. 

• Renaissance: This is being considered as it has each of the required components available that we require for an assessment suite available.  Although we anticipate training/PD being necessary, most elementary sites and some middle school sites currently uses many of the Ren Learn functions and platform in our Accelerated Reader program and STAR assessment at the elementary and middle school levels so there will be less of a need than if the system was completely foreign.

All three assessment systems will host a virtual presentation for teachers and administrators (dates are listed below) from 3:00-4:30pm.  These presentations are completely voluntary.  All presentations will be recorded and recordings will be provided to site administration to share with staff.  Staff who participate in the presentations (whether the live session or the recorded session) will be giving the opportunity to provide feedback on each system and rank their selections in order of preference.  

Vendor Presentation Dates: 

Renaissance-Wednesday 4/16 3:00-4:30pm  Here is the link to the recording from the presentation: Renaissance Presentation

IReady-Tuesday, 4/22 3:00-4:30pm  Here is the link to the recording from the presentation: iReady Presentation Passcode to access recording: E^u517bM

NWEA/MAP-Tuesday 4/29 3:00-4:30pm  Here is the link to the MAP Presentation. NWEA Presentation

All vendor presentations will be recorded, shared via email to site administration to share out to each staff and will be posted here as well.

Individuals who view/review the presentations will be able to provide input on each system and rank their preferences on a form that will be posted here soon!

Below are links that share additional information about each program for everyone's review:

iReady: Click HERE for more information

Renaissance: Click HERE for more information

NWEA/MAP: Click HERE for more information

AUSD utilizes iReady as a common assessment for all students in grades K-8.  The online, adaptive assessment is administered in both ELA and mathematics three times a year.  This is a formative assessment tool that is used to plan and target instruction in the classroom and to expose students to a testing platform that is similar to the state's CAASPP assessment system. In addition to the diagnostic assessments, students engage in personalized learning paths that is individualized to their instructional levels based on their performance on the diagnostic assessments.  Students engage in 45 minutes of online instructional lessons in ELA and in math each week. 

AUSD utilizes iReady Literacy Tasks with our K - 2 students. Benchmark data is collected 3 times per year with Progress Monitoring available for additional assessments as needed. The Literacy Tasks are designed to provide information on how a student is performing in phonological awareness, encoding (reading) and fluency related skills. The Tasks are administered by educators in a one-on-one, offline setting. This is a formative assessment tool that is used to plan and target instruction in the classroom, in small groups and individually.

BPST

The Basic Phonics Skills Test III (BPST) is a phonics assessment that consists of the recognition of letter sounds, specific phonics patterns, and the blending of single syllable and polysyllabic words out of context.  Phonics is the process of mapping the sounds in words to written letters. This is one of the earliest reading skills children should develop, because it introduces them to the link between letters and sounds, known as the alphabetic principle. We use measures like the BPST 3 to help understand students' level of phonics competency to help inform instruction. Some students who score low will need additional practice with developing their understanding of phonics-these students receive pull out services by Intervention teachers as well as support by push in reading teachers (PIRTs) across the district. 

IWT

The Irregular Words Test (IWT) assessments for all students in grades Kindergarten-2nd.  The IWT is administered to measure high frequency words that cannot be easily sounded out.  These words need to be taught and mastered as site words. Some students who have made good progress in phonics strategies have difficulty transitioning from decodable regular text because of their limited mastery of high frequency sight words. 

AUSD has invested in evidence-based intervention programs for both reading and math at the secondary level.  Math 180 and Read 180 are high-interest, age-appropriate instructional tools and resources that integrate direct instruction, educational technology and independent skill development opportunities for students who require additional supports in specific grade level standards and skills.  Read 180 is currently active at all of our middle schools, comprehensive high schools and one alternative high school. Math 180 is currently active at one middle school and one high school.