Assessment Spotlight, Issue 79

Focusing on the CAASPP System and English Language Proficiency Assessments of California (ELPAC)—and including, when timely, updates on California’s other statewide assessments.

February’s Featured Digital Library Resource: “I Can Divide!”

“How many buses do we need to take all the fifth-grade students on our field trip?” Questions such as this are used in February’s featured Digital Library instructional resource, “I Can Divide!” (Digital Library account required), to guide students in applying their understanding of place value and using multiple ways to solve division problems using two-digit divisors and four-digit dividends.

This lesson for grade five begins with the teacher using presentation slides to model ways in which to solve division problems. Then, the students use place-value dice and a student handout to create their own division problems to solve. The students finish the lesson by completing an “exit ticket,” which serves as a formative assessment strategy that gives students the opportunity to reflect on their own confidence in completing the activity and share the reflection with their teacher. Step-by-step instructions and all materials needed are included.

Check out this resource and similar resources on the Smarter Balanced Connections Playlist: Grade 5 Operations with Whole Numbers and Decimals (Digital Library account required).

Registration Still Open for New Coordinator WebEx!

Local educational agency CAASPP and ELPAC coordinators who have been in their roles for less than 12 months still have time to register for the February New Coordinator WebEx! This month’s WebEx, which will take place on February 18 at 2 p.m., will cover coordinator tasks for February. It will be archived on the CAASPP website for anyone who is unable to attend.

All About Accessibility

The illustration glossaries resource is new as an embedded designated support for mathematics; they serve as a language support when illustrations are provided for selected construct-irrelevant terms for mathematics. The illustration glossary is available for practice tests, interim assessments, and fixed-form summative assessments. A non-embedded illustration glossary is available for students whose individualized education program or Section 504 plan indicates the need for a paper–pencil test. More information on this designated support can be found in the “What Is the Illustration Glossary?” flyer (PDF) and the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium: Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Guidelines (PDF), available on the Smarter Balanced website .

Please share this email with any educators in your local educational agency who would be interested in or benefit from this information. To join the email list, send a blank email message to subscribe-caaspp@mlist.cde.ca.gov. Are you a new subscriber? Visit the CDE Assessment Spotlight web page to find previous issues.