Assessment Spotlight, Issue 345

Focusing on the CAASPP System and English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC)—and including, when timely, updates on California’s other statewide assessments. For questions related to test administration, coordination, and trainings, visit the CAASPP and ELPAC website .

November’s Featured Tools for Teachers Resource

This month’s featured Tools for Teachers resource, Listening for Understanding , is a high school English language arts lesson that provides students with practice identifying a speaker’s point of view and evaluating the supporting evidence when listening to a presentation. This instructional resource provides teachers with all the materials needed, such as audio recordings with optional transcripts and note-taking strategy handouts.

The lesson begins with a teacher-led class discussion about point of view and how to identify a speaker’s point of view in a presentation. Then students take notes while listening to a presentation about white-nose syndrome in bats and identify key evidence in support of the speaker’s point of view. Students participate in Think-Pair-Share formative assessment activities and discuss supporting evidence with a partner. The lesson closes with an Exit Ticket formative assessment activity that includes another listening task with optional challenge questions for students to extend their learning.

To view this and other instructional resources, local educational agency (LEA) staff need a Tools for Teachers account which can be obtained either through self-registration, described in the flyer How to Self-Register for Tools for Teachers (PDF), or through their LEA CAASPP or ELPAC coordinator.

To receive future CAASPP and ELPAC updates and notifications, subscribe to the CAASPP mailing list by sending a blank email message to subscribe-caaspp@mlist.cde.ca.gov. Are you a new subscriber? For previous Assessment Spotlight issues, visit the California Department of Education Assessment Spotlight web page.