Riverside County Assessment Network (RCAN) Update Chun-Wu Li, Ph.D. Assessment and Accountability Services Division of Educational Services September 18, 2015

Survey Results Q1: Does your school district conduct kindergarten readiness assessments for incoming students? Out of 25 responses, 13 districts answered “Yes” and 12 districts answered “No”. Q2: If yes, which assessment tool do you utilize? If districts conduct kindergarten readiness assessments for incoming students, the selected assessment tools are District/School Created Assessment (5 responses), ESGI (5 responses), DIBELS (3 responses), DRDP (2 responses), BPST (1 response) and MAP (1 response).

Survey Results (continued) Q3: If yes, when is the assessment conducted? Please be specific (i.e., first 30 days of school year, first 60 days of school year, etc.) If districts conduct kindergarten readiness assessments for incoming students, they normally administer the assessment during the first 30 days of school year. Q4: If yes, do you collect data on whether or not students had a preschool experience prior to starting kindergarten? Based on survey results, only 6 districts collect data on whether or not students had a preschool experience prior to starting kindergarten.

Survey Results (continued) Q5: Do you assign a Statewide Student Identifier (SSID) for your preschoolers and kindergartens? 13 out of 25 districts assign a Statewide Student Identifier (SSID) for both their preschoolers and kindergartens.

Academic Criterion for Reclassification

 For the 2015–16 school year, the reclassification criteria, pursuant to California Education Code Section 313, remain unchanged:  1. Assessment of English language proficiency, using an objective assessment instrument, including, but not limited to, the state test of English language development; and  2. Teacher evaluation, including, but not limited to, a review of the student's curriculum mastery; and  3. Parent opinion and consultation; and  4. Comparison of student performance in basic skills against an empirically established range of performance in basic skills based on the performance of English proficient students of the same age.

Academic Criterion for Reclassification (continued)  In spring 2015, LEAs administered the first operational Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments. This year’s test results will establish a baseline for the progress students are expected to make over time. However, LEAs may use these results, if they choose, as a local measure of the fourth criterion.  In terms of the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE), the results for 2014 ‒ 15 may be used locally as the fourth criterion for reclassification in 2015 ‒ 16. Senate Bill 725 (Hancock) was signed as urgency legislation and chaptered into law on August 26, This law allows for a student completing grade twelve in 2015, who has met all other high school graduation requirements, to receive a diploma without meeting the CAHSEE requirement. However, a local reclassification policy could still use last year’s CAHSEE results.  LEAs also may identify local assessments to be used to determine English learners (ELs) who are meeting academic measures that indicate they are ready to be reclassified. Regulations (5 CCR, sections Reclassification and [c][6] Advisory Committee) also specify that any local reclassification criteria must be reviewed by the school district committee on programs and services for ELs.

List of Incoming Assessment Meetings and Workshops

List of Incoming Assessment Meetings and Workshops  9/23/2015 (RCOE): Using Interim Assessments Strategically Workshop  9/29/2015 (Ontario): State Assessment and accountability Meeting  10/26/2015 (RCOE): Digital Library, Interim Assessment Clinics and Interim Assessment Hand Scoring Workshop  11/9-10/2015 (Corona Norco USD) and 2/23/2016 (RCOE): CAASPP Institute for Schools and Districts  2/22/2016 (RCOE): Riverside County Assessment Conference