Ventura County students slightly improved their scores on the statewide California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) test, according to new data released by the California Department of Education. In the 2018-2019 school year, 50 percent of Ventura County students met or exceeded the state standards for English language arts (ELA), which is up one percentage point from the year before. In math, 39 percent of Ventura County students met or exceeded the state standards, which is also up one percentage point from the prior year. Since the CAASPP test was first administered in 2015, Ventura County students have improved their performance in ELA by four percentage points and in math by three percentage points.

There has also been gradual improvement in scores for Hispanic, African American and socioeconomically disadvantaged students. However, a majority of students in these groups, including students with disabilities, have not yet reached levels of Standard Met or Exceeded. The Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) and the Ventura County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) are working closely with local school districts to address these disparities. SELPA and the VCOE Educational Services Branch provide data analysis and work collaboratively with school districts in developing strategies to reduce these performance gaps. Additionally, local school districts, VCOE and SELPA partner to better meet students’ social and emotional needs and reduce obstacles to learning.

Also known as “Smarter Balanced,” the CAASPP test is administered in grades three through eight and grade eleven. The computer-based test is designed to reflect California’s recently updated academic standards and asks students to write clearly, think critically, and solve complex problems.

Ventura County Highlights for 2019
NOTE: The test scores reported in this news release include Las Virgenes Unified School District, which has territory in both Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.

• Forty-eight percent of Ventura County third grade students met or exceeded the standard for English language arts, which is up from 46 percent in 2018 and a nine percentage point increase since 2015.
• Forty-nine percent of Ventura County third grade students met or exceeded the standard for math, which is up from 47 percent in 2018 and an eight percentage point increase since 2015.
• Fifty-three percent of Ventura County fifth grade students met or exceeded the standard for English language arts, which is up from 49 percent in 2018.
• Thirty-seven percent of Ventura County fifth grade students met or exceeded the standard for math, which is up from 34 percent in 2018.
• Thirty-five percent of Ventura County Hispanic students met or exceeded the standard for English language arts, which is up from 33 percent in 2018 and a seven percentage point increase since 2015.
• Twenty-three percent of Ventura County Hispanic students met or exceeded the standard for math, which is up from 22 percent in 2018 and a four percentage point increase since 2015.
• Thirty-three percent of Ventura County socioeconomically disadvantaged students met or exceeded the standard for English language arts, which is up from 32 percent in 2018 and a six percentage point increase since 2015.
• Twenty-two percent of Ventura County socioeconomically disadvantaged students met or exceeded the standard for math, which is up from 21 percent in 2018 and a five percentage point increase since 2015.

Additional details are available at this link.

Individual Student Reports

Local school districts are mailing customized Individual Student Reports to parents. The reports provide a clear picture of how individual students performed in math and English language arts. The four categories of performance on the assessment are Standard Not Met, Standard Nearly Met, Standard Met and Standard Exceeded. Parents will be able to see how their children’s scores have progressed over the years and how they compare to school and state averages. The reports also detail performance in seven key skill areas which include reading, writing and math concepts and procedures. This information allows parents and teachers to identify the areas where students can benefit from additional supports. Parents can access a comprehensive guide to understanding their students’ scores at ca.startingsmarter.org.

The Bigger Picture

CAASPP test scores for individual schools, districts, counties and the entire state are available at caaspp-elpac.cde.ca.gov/caaspp.