Program Overview
The California Spanish Assessment (CSA) is an assessment for the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System. This optional assessment tests students' skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking using the Common Core State Standards in Language Arts and Literacy en Espanol. This assessment, presented in Spanish, serves the more than one million students who speak Spanish as their primary language as well as those who are learning Spanish as an additional language. The purposes of the CSA are to:
- Measure a student’s literacy in Spanish language arts and provide student-level data in Spanish literacy.
- Evaluate the implementation of Spanish language arts programs at the local level.
- Provide a high school measure suitable to be used, in part, for the State Seal of Biliteracy.
State Seal of Biliteracy
The California State Board of Education approved the overall Level 3 on the high school CSA as one way to meet, in part, the State Seal of Biliteracy (SSB) requirements. The SSB recognizes high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing one or more languages in addition to English. Students may meet this threshold in grade 9, 10, 11, or 12. Students at Level 3 on the CSA demonstrate a high degree of grade-appropriate Spanish literacy in reading, writing, listening, and speaking, and are on track for being literate in Spanish by high school graduation. The CDE is currently working on updated language to include the CSA as an option to meet the SSB per Education Code 51461(a)(2)(A).
For more information on the SSB, visit the CDE's State Seal of Biliteracy web page.
The following links provide additional information about the CSA:
California Assessment Timeline (PDF) presents the assessment administration timeline.
Assessment System Chart web page lists the tests of the California Assessment System by subject, content, test name, test type, student participant groups, grade levels, and testing window timeframe.
Resources and Communication Materials
- Bilingualism and the CSA
(Video; 0:5:51) - Bilingüismo y la prueba CSA
(Video; 0:8:30)
- CSA Guidance for Analyzing Results (PDF)
- CSA Fact Sheet (PDF)
- CSA – Start a Practice Test
- CSA Practice and Training Tests
(PDF)
- Parent Guides to Understanding
- Resources for Communicating with Parents
- Student Tips on Taking the CSA Speaking Questions (PDF)
- Student Tips on Taking the CSA Speaking Test (Video; 0:4:05)
Test Administration
- California Spanish Assessment web page
for information on the CSA and CAASPP and ELPA Test Administration web page
for CAASPP and ELPAC
- Quick Reference Guides
- Spanish Student Accessibility Graphic
- Student Accessibility Resources
Scores and Results Reporting
CSA Student Score Report Information
Test Results for CSA website
– For directions on how to view results, go to Quick Reference Guides.
CAASPP Starting Smarter website
CSA Score Reporting Ranges (PDF) provides the score reporting ranges by grade from the 2018–2019 administration to the 2023–2024 administration.
CSA Score Reporting Ranges(PDF) provides the scale score ranges by grade level and grade band beginning with the 2024–2025 administration.
Laws, Regulations, and Requirements
Technical Documents
- CSA Blueprint (DOCX) – For use through the 2023–24 administration
- CSA Revised Blueprint (DOCX) – For use beginning with the 2024–25 administration
- CSA Technical Reports