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California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress. California statewide student assessment test given over a 4 day period to students in grades 3-8, and 10-11 proctored at testing sites or given remotely.
How to Log Into the Secure Browser (link) - All students will need to know how to log into the secure browser on their Springs issued Chromebook to be able to access the test. This is a good video showing how to do this. To prepare for CAASPP testing, all Chromebooks must have the Secure Browser ready to go. If you Chromebook cannot log into testing site on the secure browser, let IT and Stacy know right away as your Chromebook may be obsolete and need replacement.
How To Take a Remote Test (link) - Parents should watch this video with their student if they will be taking the test remotely. It will walk them through how to login, prepare their cameras and microphones, video chat and message their proctor, raise their hand, etc. The student will need to know how to do these things as parents cannot interact with their student while the student is in the testing platform.
Links to Springs digital grade level informational folders:
Here you will find all the resources you need to prepare your students well for CAASPP including how to log in, Math and ELA Warm-Ups, grade level skills practice, information about the universal tools, vocabulary to review etc.
Recommendations of what to do from now until CAASPP testing begins to help prepare your students:
Go over last year’s CAASPP results with your student to see areas you will want to go over and focus on.
How to access CAASPP results in Oasis (link) - I added these to your Family Folders
Complete the Grade Level Weekly Warm-Ups with your students! These are so helpful as they are taken directly from actual tests and will be very similar to what your student will be given on test day! I email them weekly but you can also access them in the digital test prep packets linked above.
As mentioned above, go through all 4 sections of the online practice test with your student by logging in with the directions for “Without Teacher Session ID”.
Get familiar with all the universal tools available to them and how to use them. Video tutorials are linked in your test prep packet. Link
Practice answering all the questions. The Math (CAT) Practice Test has some problems that are tricky to answer. It requires some clicking and dragging, adding points to a graph, etc. depending on the grade level, so you will want your student to practice answering them.
Here is a link to the scoring guides so you can go over how they are doing and review any errors.
Go over the vocabulary words found in your test prep packet as they include test language and vocabulary that will be found on the test! If they do not understand the question, they will not be able to answer them!
Practice the Writing Performance Task with your students!!! I believe that when students score lower than expected, it has to do with not reading the directions carefully, understanding the genre of writing and addressing everything in the prompt.
Here is a link to a slide show for you to look over so you understand the importance of preparing your student for the writing task.
Here is a link to use to learn the genres of writing they will be asked to write about. If they don’t know what they are being asked to write (informative essay, persuasive essay, etc.) they can write a beautiful essay in the wrong genre and get a very low score for not writing to the prompt.
Here is a link to some amazing writing performance tasks for you to do with your student. They are broken down into steps for you to teach your student and are taken from actual tests. This is NOT teaching to the test! These are writing skills that your student should be learning and will be asked to do throughout their years in school.
Writing Performance Task Practice Lessons (link)- Have the students use scratch paper to plan out their writing!
This link is for graphic organizers you can use to teach your students how to prewrite. I suggest you teach them how to do this on a blank piece of paper as well though since they won’t have graphic organizers during the test.
This link is to rubrics so you can make sure your student understands how their writing is being scored.
There is a Math Performance Task Course in your student Canvas dashboard in their My Springs account. You can use this to go over what a Math Performance Task is and how to answer them. The solutions are provided for you to use to grade them and review any mistakes.
Math Performance Task Course in Canvas (link) - Have the students use scratch paper to solve their problems! This is so important to check their work!
Use the Spectrum Test Practice book to review specific grade level concepts if you feel that they need some reinforcement.
Be sure your keyboarding skills are up to speed =D. the best (free) option is typing.com and Typing Club. Keyboarding Without Tears can be purchased in Bookmart for less than $5 (grades 6-8 can order the grade 5) . It is recommended to do typing lessons at least 3 times a week to practice typing for 15 minutes per session. (K-1st grade can start or wait until 2nd grade to start learning.) During CAASPP testing in the Spring (3rd- 8th grade), it will be expected that the student is able to type a paragraph and navigate a keyboard/computer program. It is also just an important skill for kids to have as so many things that we do are computer-based. This will help them prepare and become fluent typists!
Use your test prep packets to go over grade level skills, vocabulary and universal tools! THE CAASPP WARM-UPS are the most helpful prep you can give your students as they are exactly like what they will see on their test. The Spectrum book does review skills but doesn’t prepare them as well for the test as the online warm-ups do!
Directions for Online Practice Test
Directions for Online Practice Test
Taking the practice test will help your student get familiar with how to access the test, what the test experience will be like, answering the questions and using the universal tools.
How do I access it?
Make sure your volume is on and is at a volume that is comfortable for you. The volume bar is located when you press the time at the bottom right hand corner of your screen.
On your Chromebook make sure you are signed out. If you are not signed out click on the time (bottom right screen) and press sign out.
If you do not have a Springs-issued Chromebook yet, you can go to this webpage (link) and choose Student Interface for Practice and Training Tests. Skip to “Please Sign In” directions below.
Click on the “Apps” link at the bottom left of their screen, and then click on “SecureTestBrowser”. It will say, “Please select your organization or state” and you will choose California.
On the “Please Sign In” page click, “Go to the Practice and Test Site” on the bottom left.
Here is a link to instructions with screenshots on how to access the practice test
On the “Instructions and Help” page click the “Help Guide” to help you get acquainted with the different features of this test. Once you have read it, select “Begin Test Now”.
Have your child answer the questions as best as they can. Use scratch paper and remind them to do their best. Please help them during these tests by discussing the questions with them and giving them strategies to use. Remember this is just for practice. We encourage parents to help!
Each question will have three lines above it that you can click on to use the different Universal Tools that are available (more info about these tools can be found below).
Since you are signed in, the testing system will save your answers and you can continue on a different day. To log out, click the “pause” icon.
The testing system will not correct your tests. You can find the answers to these tests here: Practice Test Scoring Guides. Click on whichever test you wish to grade and find your child’s grade level. For the ELA Performance Task there are rubrics to help you grade their writing.
The students can take these tests as many times as they’d like to get acquainted with the technology on their Chromebook and to help them better understand the types of questions they will encounter during the real test.
The SBAC Test is mandatory for Springs Charter School students. Please help your child feel successful by having them take the practice tests. The more practice they have with these tests, the less anxiety they should have during the week of testing.
Know How to Use the Universal Tools!
There are Universal Tools that students can use that are embedded into the test. Video tutorials are linked in your test prep packet.
How should the practice test be taken:
It is important that a parent go through all four practice tests with their student. There are a lot of different tools and various methods of answering the problems, especially math, so it is helpful to sit beside your student and help them use the tools. Don’t give them the answers, just talk about the tools and help them maneuver through each problem.
Remember the point of the practice test is to help students feel comfortable taking the real CAASPP, not to see how many they get right. Proctors cannot help students with any portion of the test and are required to stick to answers to questions within a script. For this reason, you want to try to answer as many questions your student might have BEFORE the actual test day, as it may be that the proctor will not be able to do so.
DON’T STRESS OVER THE TEST! Remind your students to just do their best and keep trying.
Make sure your student has scratch paper available for the writing and math portion.
Spread out the practice tests over several days so that it does not get overwhelming.
If you notice certain problems/concepts that your student is struggling with, take time to reteach those concepts. We want our students to feel comfortable and prepared when taking the tests so it’s not a stressful situation, so please support them in test prep. It makes the actual testing a much more enjoyable experience.
Testing Tips
Testing Tips
Things to Remember:
Make sure your kiddo gets a good night's sleep and eats a good breakfast.
Charge your student's Chromebook each night. Testing sites do not have outlets available in all the testing areas.
Things to send with your child to in-person testing:
Water in a closed container
Snacks/lunch if they want to bring their own or have food allergies (we will provide a daily snack).Computer in its box or in a backpack to make it easier to transport. Make sure your student's Chromebook is labeled with their name.
A book or two to read when testing is over - no other activities will be allowed and there might be a wait, so bring a book!
*ELECTRONIC DEVICES (besides Chromebooks) will not be allowed to be turned on at all. Keep ipods, tablets, and even phones at home. Students are not allowed to have phones in their possession while in the testing area.
Typing Practice
Typing Practice
Your student will feel much more confident and comfortable taking the CAASPP test if they have basic typing skills. My encouragement is to have your student practice at least 10-15 minutes daily to improve their skills. Here are a some resources for you for free typing lessons and games:
Typing Club (link)- lessons and practice
Typing.com (link) - lessons and practice
Kidz Type (link)- lessons and practice
Dance Mat Typing (link)- lessons and practice
Nitro Type (link)- for practice
Keyboarding Without Tears is sold in Marketplace for less than $5. Grades 6-8 can order the grade 5 version - Dive into lessons with game-based tools for finger dexterity, finger-key association, and typing letters and words. Students collect awards as they progress through the keyboarding map.
During CAASPP testing in the Spring (3rd- 8th grade), it will be expected that the student is able to type a paragraph and navigate a keyboard/computer program. It is also just an important skill for kids to have as so many things that we do are computer based. This will help them prepare and become fluent typists!
Paragraph and Essay Writing Resources
Paragraph and Essay Writing Resources (link)
Your students will be asked to structure paragraphs/essays including a main idea and details to support their main idea. The link above has worksheets you can use to have your student practice this skill using the steps of the writing process. You will find handy graphic organizers to help them organize their sentences/paragraphs. Have them practice using just scratch paper to create their graphic organizers for the test. Have them practice typing the final drafts.
Science Test Prep (Only for 5, 8, and HS)
Science Test Prep (Only for 5, 8, and HS)
For students in grade 5 or 8, the following links have sample questions from the Science Test if you would like to get familiar with this portion of the assessment.
5th Grade Resources
CAST.Training-Scoring-Guide-Gr5.2019-20.pdf
Download CAST.Training-Scoring-Guide-Gr5.2019-20.pdf
CAST.Practice-Scoring-Guide-Gr5.2019-20.pdf
Download CAST.Practice-Scoring-Guide-Gr5.2019-20.pdf
8th Grade Resources
CAST.Practice-Scoring-Guide-Gr8.2019-20 (1).pdf
Download CAST.Practice-Scoring-Guide-Gr8.2019-20 (1).pdf
CAST.Training-Scoring-Guide-Gr8.2019-20 (1).pdf
Download CAST.Training-Scoring-Guide-Gr8.2019-20 (1).pdf
HS Resources
CAST.Practice-Scoring-Guide-HS.2019-20.pdf
Download CAST.Practice-Scoring-Guide-HS.2019-20.pdf
CAST.Training-Scoring-Guide-HS.2019-20.pdf
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