County Students Hold Steady, Outperform State Averages
On October 10, the California Department of Education released the 2023-24 results from the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress(CAASPP). The data shows Alameda County students outperforming the overall state average again.
The Smarter Balanced assessments were taken in the 2023-2024 school year. Tests in English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA) and math are given in 3rd through 8th grades, and again in 11th grade. Students are also assessed on science standards by the California Science Assessment (CAST).
Student results are reported in four tiers related to mastery of ELA, Math, and Science standards: not met, nearly met, met, or exceeded.
The results show that Alameda County students outperformed the State of California overall in all three content areas, with 55% of students demonstrating mastery of ELA standards, 47% in Math, and 41% in Science. Relative to the results of 2023, Alameda County students showed a small decrease in ELA (-0.4%), comparable results in Math (+0.2%), and a small decrease in Science (-0.5%).
While there is more work to do to improve outcomes among historically marginalized and under resourced student populations, gains were made among Native American students (ELA: +1.9%; Math: 2.8%; Science: 2.9%) and socioeconomically disadvantaged students (ELA: 1.4%; Math: 2.3%; Science: 1.4%) across all three content areas. Black/African American students saw gains in English Language Arts (1.8%) and Science (1.8%).
However, performance gaps have increased among English Learners, Hispanic/Latino students, Pacific Islanders, and students experiencing homelessness.
“CAASPP results are only one measure of student performance and progress,” said Alameda County Superintendent of Schools Alysse Castro. “We look forward to the release of the California School Dashboard, which measures a variety of student outcomes, later this year to better help us understand the performance of students and school districts.”
“Continuous engagement of students and families, rigorous and relevant classroom content, and high-quality professional training for our educators are all needed to provide equitable opportunities for students to succeed.”
