Pupil assessment: alternate performance assessments.

Existing law establishes the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) , commencing with the 2013–14 school year, for the assessment of certain elementary and secondary pupils. The CAASPP is composed of (1) a consortium summative assessment in English language arts and mathematics for grades 3 to 8, inclusive, and grade 11, as specified, (2) science grade level assessments in grades 5, 8, and 10, measuring specified content standards, (3) the California Alternate Performance Assessment in grades 2 to 11, inclusive, in English language arts and mathematics and science in grades 5, 8, and 10, as specified, and (4) the Early Assessment Program. Existing law specifies numerous policies and procedures with respect to the development and the implementation of the CAASPP by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the State Board of Education, and affected local educational agencies. This bill would require the CAASPP to include an alternate performance assessment, as specified, in grades 3 to 8, inclusive, and grade 11 in English language arts and mathematics. The bill would require the CAASPP to include the California Alternate Performance Assessment being administered in grades 5, 8, and 10 in science, until successor assessments for that subject matter are implemented, as specified. The bill would require the state board to adopt an alternate performance assessment, as specified, in English language arts and mathematics for full implementation in the 2015–16 school year unless the state board determines that the assessments cannot be implemented. The bill also would require the State Department of Education to submit, no later than February 1, 2015, a report to the appropriate committees of the Legislature, the state board, school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools on the status of the successor alternate assessments in English language arts and mathematics and science, as specified, and the field tests that measure specified content standards. The bill would require the department to submit, no later than October 1, 2015, a specified report to the appropriate committees of the Legislature, the state board, school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools on the alternate performance assessments and the field tests that measure specified content standards. The bill, for the 2014–15 school year, would require each local educational agency to administer the field tests that measure specified content standards in a manner determined by the department in consultation with the president or executive director of the state board , as specified. The bill would require specified field tests in English language arts and mathematics to qualify as the alternate performance assessment for the 2014–15 school year. The bill would require the department, with the approval of the state board and the Director of Finance, to amend the assessment contract, as appropriate, to accommodate the field testing and to allow for any necessary studies using information collected from the field tests. The bill would require the department to apply for a specified waiver from the United States Department of Education.