As juniors prepare for the upcoming CAASPP (The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress) and CAST (The California Science Test) testing season, school administrators introduced new incentives designed to reward not only high scores, but also student improvement.
The test also allows schools to compare scores with other schools in California and give additional support to students who do not meet the standard.
The CAASPP test is a statewide test that measures student performance in English Language Arts and Math. These exams are taken by juniors to evaluate college and career readiness.
Last year, incentives were mostly given to students who already scored in the highest tiers. However, administrators say this year’s system is meant to reward improvement at all levels.
“What we’re doing is, and I hope we explained it right. If you’re level one and you move to level two, we’re still going to put you in the raffle. If you’re level two and you move to level three, we’re still going to put you in the raffle,” Principal Charles Park said.
This year’s incentive includes three tiers:
Tier 1: off-campus lunch: Show improvement on at least one CAASPP exam from NWEA for ELA or Math/Science classes for Math/CAST.
Tier 2: off-campus lunch and homecoming ticket giveaway: score Standard Met or Standard Exceeds on at least one CAASPP and CAST exam.
Tier 3: off-campus lunch + prom and Grad Nite ticket giveaway: score Standard Met or Standard Exceeds on all three CAASPP and CAST exams.
The school has also offered Kahoot-style tutoring sessions after school to help students prepare for the exam. Students who attended the full session were able to clear tardies as an added benefit.
While some students attend primarily to clear tardies, others go to better prepare for the CAASPP. Junior Samantha Zuniga said she decided to attend after hearing about the sessions from a teacher and noticing the flyers posted around campus.
“I went (to the Kahoot tutoring) ‘cause wanted to get ahead on my CAASPP,” Zuniga said. “My teacher also said attending would give me extra credit.”
With some students aiming for the chance to win free prom tickets, school administrators hope the new incentives will motivate students to take the exam more seriously and focus on improving their scores.
