Understanding Your Student Score Report for Grades 5 and 8 - California Alternate Assessments for English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics

Oct 3, 2026

Guide for families of students in grades 5 and 8 explaining how to read California Alternate Assessments (CAAs) score reports in English language arts/literacy and mathematics. Describes what the reports measure within the CAASPP system, how results relate to individualized education program (IEP) goals and other information, and how families can review performance. Includes score report components, performance level descriptions, graphs and score history interpretation, level ranges for both subjects, and where to find additional help and practice resources.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Understanding Your Student Score Report

CAAs and the CAASPP System

How to Read the Score Report Sections

Performance Levels and Score Ranges

Where to Get Help and More Information

Posted by the California Department of Education July 2017 ENGLISH | | UNDERSTANDING YOUR STUDENT SCORE REPORT GRADES 5 and 8
California Alternate Assessments for English language arts/literacy and Mathematics | | --- | --- | This guide will explain your child’s score report and provide additional resources to help you understand his or her scores. Please speak to your child’s teacher(s) if you have more questions. A message from the State Superintendent, Tom Torlakson This report shows how your child scored on the California Alternate Assessments (CAAs) for English language arts/literacy and mathematics. The CAAs, apart of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System, are tests based on alternate achievement standards , which are appropriate for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. These results are one measure of your child’s academic performance. They should be viewed with other information—such as progress on individualized education program (IEP) goals, assignments, and teacher conferences. Students achieve more when their parents are involved in their learning. Please use the resources outlined below to find out more about how you can help your child continue to make progress. 􀁮1 Your child’s name and date of the report Here you find your child’s name and the date of the report. 􀁯2 Overall score for English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics The left side of the score report provides your child’s overall score and performance level by subject. 􀁰3 Performance summary of this year’s scores for ELA and mathematics The right side of the score report offers a summary of your child’s achievement by subject. To understand the degree of student achievement in a performance level , please visit the CAA Performance Level Descriptors Web page at [http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ca/caapld.asp](http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ca/caapld.asp. We encourage you)[.](http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ca/caapld.asp. We encourage you)[ We encourage you](http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ca/caapld.asp. We encourage you) to review the results of this assessment with your child’s teacher and other members of your child’s individualized education program team . 􀁱4 Graphs of last year’s and this year’s scores for ELA and mathematics These two graphs on the left side of the score report show your child’s score and performance level. The gray shadeson the bar graph represent the three performance levels, from the darkest gray color representing Level 1—Alternate to the lightest gray representing Level 3—Alternate. Because these assessments are not on a vertical scale, differences in the score points cannot be reliably compared between grades in the same or different subjects. 􀁲5 Score history The table on the right side of the score report shows your child’s overall score and corresponding achievement level on both last year’s and this year’s assessments. State average data are provided for each year as well. Please note if your child moved to California this year, there is only one year of data available. This guide was designed for the 2016–17 CAASPP Student Score Reports for grades 5 and 8. What are the California Alternate Assessments? The California Alternate Assessments (CAAs) are online tests for eligible students with individualized education programs (IEPs) that designate the use of an alternate assessment to measure student progress on alternate achievement standards. The CAAs use alternate achievement standards, called Core Content Connectors (“Connectors”), to make the test more accessible for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The CAAs are administered to each student individually. CAA items and tasks represent three different levels of complexity, and students' responses to the first set of test questions determine the complexity of the items that follow. These tests give students the opportunity to demonstrate their learnin

FAQs

What are the California Alternate Assessments (CAAs)?

The CAAs are online tests for eligible students with individualized education programs (IEPs) that use alternate achievement standards. They measure student progress in English language arts/literacy and mathematics.

How should families use the score report results?

Use the results as one measure of academic performance. View them alongside other information such as IEP goals, assignments, and teacher conferences.

What are the score ranges for Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 in ELA and mathematics?

The guide lists three performance levels for each subject, showing ranges by grade for ELA and for mathematics. These ranges determine whether a student’s score falls into Level 1—Alternate, Level 2—Alternate, or Level 3—Alternate.

Oct 3, 2026

Uploaded by Taylor Morgan