Assessment and Accountability

Standardized Testing and Reporting

California’s Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) is an important part of the state testing system for California’s students.  STAR is administered each year in the spring to measure how well students are learning the knowledge and skills that are being taught through the California content standards.  The STAR program includes four test components:

• The California Standards Tests (CSTs) are aligned to the California state content standards.
• The California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA) is a standards based test for developmentally disabled students who cannot be assessed with the CSTs and CAT/6 Survey.
• A nationally norm-referenced test (currently the CAT/6 Survey) measures the achievement of general academic knowledge and provides a national comparison.
• A nationally norm-referenced achievement test of general academic knowledge in Spanish (currently the Aprenda 3) is administered to Spanish-speaking English learners.  Beginning in the spring of 2007 students in grades 2-4 will take the Standards Test in Spanish (STS) in place of the Aprenda 3. 

Results from the CSTs, CAPA, the CAT/6 and CAHSEE (see below) are incorporated into the Academic Performance Index (API).  The API is a score from 200-1000 with each school’s interim goal being 800. 

California Alternate Performance Assessment

   Madera County Office of Education's CAPA Contact:
Dianna Young Marsh Dyoung@maderacoe.k12.ca.us
(559)662-3853