Assessments
The San Mateo-Foster City School District assessment page has information on district program assessments and state assessment. The district program assessment include the Cognitive Abilities Test and compacted math. The state assessment includes the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) and the English Language Proficiency for California (ELPAC). More information about each can be found below.
Local (Districtwide) Assessments
Math Common Formative Assessments (CFA)
Math Common Formative Assessments (CFA)
- ZEARN Common Formative Assessments & MARS Performance Tasks (Grades K-5)
- Math Nation/Illustrative Mathematics Common Formative Assessments (Grades 6-8)
ZEARN Common Formative Assessments & MARS Performance Tasks (Grades K-5)
Math Nation/Illustrative Mathematics Common Formative Assessments (Grades 6-8)
Our middle school, end-of-unit, Math formative assessments are administered electronically through the DESMOS platform. This platform has been created with the use of Math Nation/Illustrative Mathematics instructional materials. These assessments are tools for 6th - 8th Grade teachers that allow them to look for evidence related to individual student understanding of key Math standards taught within each unit.
*Students instructed with an alternate curriculum (e.g. compacted math, Algebra-1, special day class, etc.) are not assessed using the CFA.
Literacy Assessments
Literacy Assessments
- Fountas and Pinnell (Grades TK-5)
- PAF Reading Program (Grades K-2)
- Reading Inventory (Grades 3-5)
- Reading Inventory (Grades 6-8)
Fountas and Pinnell (Grades TK-5)
Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessments are a set of formative tools used to identify the instructional and independent reading levels of all students. This information, along with data obtained from optional subtests, provide teachers with information needed to observe and support student reading behaviors. Beginning in the 2022-23 school year, the district will transition our use of Fountas & Pinnell in TK-2 to the PAF literacy assessments and to the Reading Inventory in grades 3-5. The data below can be used as an indicator of student performance in the 2021-22 school year and as one of the summer 2022 reclassification criteria.
PAF Reading Program (Grades K-2)
PAF (Preventing Academic Failure) is a comprehensive structured language program for teaching reading, spelling, and handwriting using multisensory techniques, which was adapted from the Orton-Gillingham instructional materials. It is an effective beginning reading program for all children.
Graphs displaying student performance data will be provided when the district fully implements the PAF reading assessments in November 2022.
Reading Inventory (Grades 3-5)
The Reading Inventory is a computer-adaptive reading comprehension assessment, which provides a measure of student reading ability, reported in Lexile measures and associated performance levels.
Graphs displaying student performance data in grades 3-5 will be provided when the district administers the Reading Inventory assessment in September 2022.
Reading Inventory (Grades 6-8)
District Program Assessments
The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)
The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)
- Content
The district currently administers the online CogAT Screening Form 8 assessment in the spring to all students in third grade who wish to enroll in the GATE program at College Park and to all students in fifth grade who wish to enroll in the GATE program at Bayside Academy.
The CogAT utilizes questions that measure quantitative, verbal and non-verbal reasoning to provide a comprehensive analysis of student cognitive ability. Enrollment within the GATE program is limited. Results are used to assist with the placement process. There are numerous measures of a child’s giftedness and it is not the district’s intention to make such a designation based-on the results of one assessment.
State Assessments
- California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP)
- English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC)
California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP)
CAASPP
- Content
Every year, California students take several statewide tests. When combined with other measures such as grades, class work, and teacher observations, these tests give families and teachers a more complete picture of their child’s learning. You can use the results to identify where your child is doing well and where they might need more support.
English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC)
ELPAC
- Content
The ELPAC is part of the California assessment system and is aligned with California’s English Language Development Standards. These standards ensure English Language Learner students have a high-quality program that enables them to attain proficiency in English—developing the necessary skills and confidence in listening, speaking, reading and writing—to be successful in the classroom. The ELPAC helps teachers across the state monitor student progress with these skills. There are currently three different ELPAC exams that may be administered to students; the Initial ELPAC, the Summative ELPAC, and the Alternate ELPAC.
Student ELPAC results provide an overall score, consisting of oral language skills (speaking, listening), written language skills (reading, writing), and a performance level. ELPAC test results are just one way we look at student progress by highlighting areas of language focus for the next school year.