California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) Program
CAHSEE Results through December 2007 and February 2008
At the May 2008 State Board of Education (SBE) meeting, the California Department of Education (CDE) provided the SBE with the December 2007 and February 2008 CAHSEE administration data related to the estimated number of students meeting the CAHSEE requirement. The key findings based on the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO) analysis for the estimated number of students in the classes of 2006, 2007, and 2008, attempting and passing the CAHSEE during the February 2008 administration are as follows:
- Over 900 students from the Class of 2006 took the CAHSEE in February 2008 and 173 met the CAHSEE requirement.
- Over 3,000 students from the Class of 2007 took the CAHSEE in February 2008 and 565 met the CAHSEE requirement.
- Over 42,000 students from the Class of 2008 took the CAHSEE in February 2008 and 9,220 met the CAHSEE requirement.
The key findings for the estimated passing rates for students in the classes of 2006, 2007, and 2008, through the February 2008 CAHSEE administration are as follows:
- Students in the classes of 2006 and 2007 continue to take and pass the CAHSEE.
- Students in special education and English learners continue to exhibit a lower passing rate than all other groups.
- The inclusion of the subgroup of special education students for the Class of 2008 resulted in a 3.5 point decline in the rate for “All Students.”
A point-in-time comparison of the percent of students for each class meeting the CAHSEE requirement by February in their respective senior years illustrated that:
- Each subsequent class is increasing its passing rate for each subgroup.
- The Class of 2008 has shown increases of 1.4 percent (Asian subgroup) to 6.1 percent (Hispanic subgroup) when compared to the Class of 2006. The African American, economically disadvantaged, and English learner subgroups also showed a marked percentage increase of 5.4, 5.7, and 4.1, respectively from their 2006 cohorts.
To view this board item in its entirety, including all data tables, please refer to the SBE Agenda Item 07 (DOC; 131KB; 5pp).
Data Analysis of Local Waivers and Exemptions for CAHSEE for Students in the Class of 2007
California Code of Regulations, Title 5 sections 1207.1 and 1207.2 specify the data to be collected for waivers and exemptions. Waiver and exemption data were collected simultaneously this year for the Class of 2007 as the adoption of the new regulations were approved by the Office of Administrative Law on December 20, 2007.
Based on a data collection by CDE, approximately 83 percent (571 of 688) of the school districts provided exemption and waiver data during the data collection effort. This number of school districts contains more than 90 percent of the student population that would be eligible for exemptions and waivers. Other findings include:
- 9,421 students receiving special education services in the Class of 2007 (through December 31, 2007) received CAHSEE exemptions and were granted diplomas.
- 2,315 students receiving special education services in the Class of 2007 received CAHSEE waivers and were granted diplomas.
- 974 students receiving special education services in the Class of 2007 received waivers for the English-language Arts portion of the CAHSEE in the 2006-07 school year.
- 1,712 students receiving special education services in the Class of 2007 received waivers for the Mathematics portion of the CAHSEE in the 2006-2007 school year.
To view this board item in its entirety, including all data tables, please refer to the SBE Agenda Item 07 (DOC; 131KB; 5pp).
Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program
STAR Parent and Teacher Focus Groups: Released Test Question Communication Plan
The current Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) contract with Educational Testing Service (ETS) requires using STAR exemplar items to communicate to parents, educators, and the public about the achievement represented by the STAR performance levels for advanced, proficient, and basic. To address this task, ETS has met with CDE and SBE staff to design draft grade three sample brochures that show what skills and knowledge students must have to demonstrate achievement at each performance level. To solicit feedback regarding the draft brochures, ETS held parent and teacher focus groups in late February. A sample brochure for grades two and three will be provided for SBE approval at the July 2008 meeting.
ETS has also begun working on a Web site for parents, teachers, and the public that will allow them to access information about the STAR Program, the exemplar items, and the corresponding performance levels.
California Modified Assessment (CMA) Blueprints
At the May 7, 2008 meeting, the SBE approved CMA blueprints for grades nine and ten English-language arts (ELA), Algebra I, and grade ten science.
The federal regulations called for a modified test providing access for potential CMA students. One of the ways to modify is to reduce the depth and breadth of the test. The CMA Assessment Review Panel recommended a shorter test covering those standards assessed on the California Standards Tests (CSTs). The approved blueprints for each subject area are provided in Attachment 1 of the board agenda Item 10 (DOC; 56KB; 1pp.).
California English Language Development Test (CELDT) Program
CELDT K-1 Early Literacy Assessment
At the May 7, 2008 SBE meeting, the CDE provided the SBE with an update on the early literacy assessment. CDE has contracted with WestEd for the Kindergarten through first grade (K-1) early literacy test item development. Additional information regarding the early literacy test development will be provided as it becomes available.
To view this board item in its entirety, please refer to the SBE Agenda Item 06 (DOC; 70KB; 3pp.).
Preliminary 2007-08 Annual Assessment (AA) Results
The annual assessment of English learners (ELs) on the CELDT was conducted from July 1 through October 31, 2007. These results are used by the Language Policy and Leadership Office for calculation of Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAO) 1 and 2 required by Title III of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Preliminarily, the results indicate:
- The number of ELs assessed during the 2007-2008 annual assessment increased compared to the number assessed in 2006-2007.
- This year, 36 percent of ELs scored at early advanced or advanced overall in English proficiency. These results are four percent higher than those for last year.
- The overall percentage of ELs who met the SBE adopted CELDT criterion for possible reclassification in 2007-2008 is 33 percent, which is an increase of almost four percent over last year.
The state, county, district, and school level AA summary results are posted on the DataQuest Web page. The comprehensive results for 2007-2008, including Initial Identification assessments conducted through June 30, 2008, will be available by September and reported to the SBE at that time.
To view the preliminary 2007-2008 AA results analysis document, please refer to Attachment 1 (DOC; 60KB; 4pp.) of item 06.
Pre-Administration Training for 2008-09
CTB will be conducting 24 workshops this year to prepare CELDT District Coordinators (CDC) to administer and reliably score the CELDT. The mandatory Pre-Administration Train the Trainers Workshops for the 2008-09 Edition of the CELDT are provided to individuals who will be trainers of test examiners during the 2008-09 school year. The participants will learn about writing rubrics and item types, receive an update on the 2008-09 Edition of the CELDT, and practice scoring. Accurate and reliable scoring is essential to obtain valid CELDT results. The workshops will be held April 29 through June 5, 2008, with five make-up workshops provided in August.
Further, there will be a new online training called CELDT 101: General Test Administration Training for District Coordinators. This training is not mandatory, but rather it is meant as an in-depth orientation for new CELDT District Coordinators and as a refresher and update for returning CELDT District Coordinators.
To view this board item in its entirety, please refer to the SBE Agenda Item 06 (DOC; 70KB; 3pp.).
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) Peer Review
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is conducting a peer review under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of each state’s assessment and accountability system.
At this time, California does not have an approved assessment and accountability system. The only outstanding finding is regarding the General Mathematics Test. In March 2008, the SBE approved the development of a Revised General Mathematics test to comply with NCLB.
On April 10, 2008, a joint letter from the CDE and the SBE was submitted to the ED in response to ED’s February 6, 2008, letter regarding the standards and assessment peer review. The letter provided a timeline for the development of the “Revised General Mathematics California Standards Test” and affirmed California’s commitment to responding to this peer review finding in a timely manner.
The Revised General Mathematics blueprint board item was not heard at the May 2008 meeting. In order to meet the test development timeline, CDE requested that a SBE meeting occur prior to the regularly scheduled July meeting. More information regarding this review will be provided as it becomes available.
To view this board item in its entirety, please refer to the SBE Agenda Item 05 (DOC; 66KB; 2pp.).
More information
For more information about any of the above mentioned SBE items, access SBE Current and Past Agendas Web page.
