Overview
California Alternate Assessments provide parents/guardians, teachers, and educators with information about how well students with severe cognitive disabilities are learning. A student score report with performance level descriptors is available the fall of the school year following the test administration.
The California Alternate Assessment performance level descriptors were developed on the basis of the work of the National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC). The PLDs are descriptions of what students at each performance level know and what they are able to do.
Score reports include three levels of performance. The table below provides a description of the three general PLDs with level 3 reflecting the highest level of performance.
CAA Scores and Levels
| Score | Level |
| 3 | Students at this level demonstrate understanding of core subject matter in the content area. They are actively working with adapted grade-level content that focuses on the essential knowledge and skills and may need occasional prompts and assistance to complete tasks and activities. |
| 2 | Students at this level demonstrate foundational understanding of core subject matter in the content area when provided with frequent prompts and supports. They are actively working with adapted grade-level content that focuses on the essential knowledge and skills and may frequently need supports to complete tasks and activities. |
| 1 | Students at this level demonstrate limited understanding of adapted grade level content that focuses on much of the basic knowledge and skills, even with extensive supports. |
Case Managers use the data from score reports for creating and monitoring IEP goals and progress. Score reports provide information on student mastery of grade and content-specific skill expectations at each performance level on a functional basis. This information should be used to apply the content standards for progress monitoring and to give standardized context to scores or score ranges.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCE
- CAA Performance Level Descriptors for English Language Arts (PDF)
- CAA Performance Level Descriptors for Mathematics (PDF)
- Using Standardized Test Data To Guide Instruction and Intervention (ericdigests.org)
- Prioritized ELA Connectors and Essential Understandings: Reading(DOC)
- Prioritized ELA Connectors and Essential Understandings: Writing(DOC)
- Prioritized Mathematics Connectors and Essential Understandings(DOC)
- Parent Guide to Understanding ELPAC
- Alternate ELPAC Particpation and Scoring
This page was last updated on June 15, 2023