Each spring, students in grades three through eight and high school participate in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP).

This year, your child will take the following test(s), depending on his or her grade level:

• Smarter Balanced Summative Assessment in English language arts/literacy
• Smarter balanced Summative Assessment in Mathematics

The Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments are online tests that measure what your child knows and is able to do. The tests include many different types of questions that allow students to interact with the test questions. Results help identify gaps in knowledge or skills early on so your child can get the support he or she needs to be successful in school.

California is in the process of implementing the California Next Generation Science Standards. As part of that implementation, students in grades five, eight, and high school will take a new test called the California Science Test, or CAST.

To learn more about Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments or the CAST, visit the California Department of Education Parent Guides to Understanding webpage.

You can look at sample test questions on the practice tests, which can be found on the CAASPP web portal.