Content and Performance Standards
The California State Board of Education (SBE) has adopted content standards for English-language arts, mathematics, history-social science, science, and visual and performing arts. In 1998 the SBE initiated the development of performance standards by adopting the three performance levels and descriptions used by the National Assessment of Educational Progress: basic, proficient, and advanced. Visit the SBE to stay abreast of the Board's work on standards and assessment.


Public Schools Accountability
PSAA provides information about California's Public Schools Accountability Act of 1999, a major effort to create rewards and interventions for improving student performance. See also the Academic Performance Index (API), the Immediate Intervention/Underperforming Schools Program (II/USP), and the Awards Program.

PSAA provides for an Advisory Committee that is developing recommendations to the the State Superintendent of Public Instruction for implementing the many provisions of the law. To stay abreast of the progress of the committee, visit PSAA.


California High School Exit Exam
California law required the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop and the SBE to approve a high school exit examination by October 1, 2000. The content of the test must be consistent with the State content standards for language arts and mathematics. Commencing with the 2003-04 school year and each school year thereafter, each pupil completing grade 12 shall successfully pass the exit examination as a condition of receiving a diploma of graduation or a condition of graduation from high school (Education Code Sec. 60850-60856). More information is available from the Standards and Assessment Division.


Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program
Established in law in 1997, the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program requires that all public school districts in California use a single standardized test, designated by the SBE, to test each student in grades two through eleven by May 15 of each fiscal year, beginning in 1997-98. The SBE currently designates the California Standards Tests and the Stanford 9 for use in the STAR Program.

Under the STAR provisions, students in grades two through eight must be tested in the basic skills of reading, spelling, written expression, and mathematics. (See EC Section 60605(b)(2) [Senate Bill 376, Statutes of 1997].) Students in grades nine through eleven must be tested in reading, writing, mathematics, history-social science, science, and visual and performing arts. Using the designated test, individual student scores must be reported to parents by June 30 of each year.

In addition to the Stanford 9, English learners whose primary language is Spanish and who are enrolled in any of grades two through eleven, inclusive, must be given a primary language test if fewer than 12 months have elapsed after initial enrollment in any public school in California. For this purpose the SBE in its November 1998 meeting designated the Spanish Assessment of Basic Education (SABE/2) published by CTB McGraw-Hill. See also STAR and Standards and Assessment Division.

California Standards Tests
These tests measure students' progress toward mastering California's academic content standards in English-language arts, mathematics, history-social science, and science. Performance is measured at one of five levels: advanced, proficient, basic, below basic and far below basic, with "proficient" marking the state's desired performance level for all students. In the near future, these tests will form the core of the school accountability system. Results from the English-language arts standards-based tests are being integrated into the 2001 base year for the Academic Performance Index (API) and will be used for the API growth reported in 2002. Mathematics, history-social science, and science standards-based tests may be included in the API as soon as 2002 but no later than 2003.


California English Language Development Test (CELDT)
The CELDT is given to English learners--i.e., students with a primary language other than English. Administered for the first time in 2001, the test is designed to monitor students' progress toward full proficiency in English. See English learners for information about programs available to assist the students attain state standards.


Low-Performing Schools
Schools not meeting their API growth targets receive special assistance from California's Immediate Intervention/Underperforming Schools Program (II/USP) and federal Program Improvement (PI).


Resources
Resources are provided in this section to assist in the successful implementation of standards-based reform.

CDE Press. Produces and distributes documents for the California Department of Education.

Comprehensive Assistance Centers (CAC).
Centers that assist in access to and exchange of information about a variety of school reform issues including standards and assessment.

Northern California CAC
WestEd
http://www.wested.org/cs/wew/view/pj/224

Southern California CAC
Los Angeles County Office of Education
sccac.lacoe.edu

Education Commission of the States. Online resources for comprehensive reform.

English Learners. Information and resources regarding the education of linguistically and culturally diverse students.

ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation. Provides information concerning educational assessments and resources to encourage responsible test use.

ESEA Federal Education Programs. Information and resources for integrating federal and state programs that promote equity and excellence for every student in California.

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Web site for the National Assessment Governing Board, established by Congress to set policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Links are provided to related Web sites and access to reports of NAEP results.

National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST). Research on issues related to K-12 educational testing.

National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education. Collects, analyzes, and disseminates information relating to the effective education of linguistically and culturally diverse learners.

National Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education. Focuses on the professional literature, information, and resources relating to the education and development of persons of all ages who have disabilities and/or who are gifted.

U.S. Department of Education. Extensive information related to standards and assessment issues. See especially a list of Web sites specializing in standards.