Dear Encinita Leaders,

The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, or CAASPP, is the state academic testing program. CAASPP is a system intended to provide information that can be used to monitor student progress and ensure that all students leave high school ready for college and career. The CAASPP includes computer-adaptive tests in English language arts, mathematics and science (Only 5th graders take science test). You may also hear us refer to the state testing as SBAC (Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium). This is the company that created the test for the west coast. Some of our students with special needs will take the California Alternate Assessments (CAA).

Students in grades 3-6 will take the test from May 7 to June 7, 2019. To learn about the types of questions on the computer-based test, you and your child can view the practice test online at the California Department of Education (CDE) Smarter Balanced Practice Test Web page at http://www.caaspp.org/

Following the spring 2019 testing, students will receive individual score reports. Student score reports will be sent home to parents and will include an overall score, a description of the student’s achievement level for English–language arts and mathematics, and other information.

If you would like more information, please visit the Parent/Student tab of the CDE CAASPP Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ca/. If you have any questions regarding your child’s participation, please contact our principal, Dr. Linda Chang, at lchang@rosemead.k12.ca.us

Students are encouraged to bring a personal set of headphones or earbuds from home during their testing week.  We will provide headphones if you do not already have one.

“I’ve Got the Power!”

Our CAASPP testing theme this year will be, “I’ve Got the Power!”  Our students will be creating posters to encourage classmates during testing weeks.  Please join us for a kick-off assembly to rally for our testing students on May 6 at 8:00am on the upper grade playground. We encourage your child to come dressed as superheroes on Friday, May 3 and in Cinco de mayo cultural wear for Monday, May 6. Our pep rally will include Cinco de mayo cultural performances and performances by our Encinita Cheer Team! Here are some tips on how you can help prepare your child to do their best on the CAASPP test:

• Make sure your child gets plenty of sleep
• Send your child to school with a family photo and a brief note of encouragement
• Eat a healthy breakfast consisting of protein like eggs to keep them satisfied longer

Let’s start our testing day with POWER! 

Power Words: Commonly used words on standardized testing that may confuse our kids

• Trace= List in steps
• Analyze= Break apart
• Infer= Read between the lines
• Evaluate= Judge
• Formulate= Create
• Describe= Tell all about  
• Support= Back up with details
• Explain= Tell how
• Summarize= Give me the short version
• Compare= All the ways they are alike
• Contrast= All the ways they are different
• Predict=What will happen next   

Power Snacks: Please consider donating these healthy snacks for your child’s class to help them power up before and during the test!

• Mini Turkey Sandwiches
• Cheese & crackers
• Black grapes
• Small yogurt cups
• String cheese
• Cuties (mandarin oranges)
• Hard Boiled Eggs
• Low Sugar juice boxes
• Water bottles
• Graham crackers

 We know that our students have the POWER to do their best on the test! Go Eagles!