What Are the Summative Assessments? The Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments are part of California’s system of assessments called the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). The summative assessments are an annual measure of what students know and can do using the Common Core State Standards for English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics. Accessibility resources provided on Smarter Balanced assessments ensure equitable access for students with diverse accessibility needs and preferences.
Why Are the Summative Assessments Given? The purposes of the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments are to assess student knowledge and skills in ELA and mathematics and to observe how much students have improved since the previous year. These assessments measure student mastery of the Common Core State Standards for ELA and mathematics as well as student progress toward college and career readiness.
Who Takes the Summative Assessments? All students in grades three through eight and grade eleven will take the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments unless a student’s active individualized education program designates the California Alternate Assessments.
How Are the Summative Assessments Given? The Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments are computer-adaptive tests that adjust the difficulty of questions on the basis of the answers students give. As students answer correctly, they will receive more challenging questions. Incorrect answers will trigger easier questions. This approach helps keep students engaged, shortens testing time for many students, and provides more accurate results, especially for low- or high-achieving students.
For additional information, visit the California Department of Education Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa/sbacsummative.asp.
