California Alternate Assessments (CAAs)
The California Alternate Assessments are the CAASPP tests for students whose IEP team has determined that they have the most significant cognitive disabilities and will be instructed and assessed against alternate achievement standards. There are CAAs in ELA (grades 3–8 and 11), mathematics (grades 3–8 and 11), and science (grades 5, 8, and once in high school).
Eligibility
The IEP team must document that the student has a significant cognitive disability; that the disability affects intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior; that the student needs extensive, highly individualized instruction and supports; and that the decision rests on none of the prohibited bases - disability category alone, English learner status, cultural or economic background, or lack of appropriate instruction. Parents must be informed that achievement will be measured against alternate standards and that this may affect eligibility for a standard high school diploma. The designation applies across content areas.
What the tests look like
- ELA and mathematics are computer-delivered but examiner-administered one-on-one: the examiner reads scripted directions, presents each item, and records the response, including pointing, gestures, vocalizations, or assistive technology.
- Items are built from Core Content Connectors that reduce the depth and breadth of the general standards.
- The CAA for Science is three performance tasks, one each for Earth and space, life, and physical science, administered by the teacher during the year and scored with the provided rubrics.
Worked example
A grade 4 newcomer is classified as an English learner and has an IEP for a speech-language impairment. The site administrator proposes the CAA for ELA. Reasoning: the proposal fails eligibility. Limited English proficiency and a speech-language impairment are not significant cognitive disabilities, and a student may not be moved to an alternate assessment because of language or interrupted schooling. The student takes the Smarter Balanced ELA test with the accessibility resources listed in the IEP.
Traps that cost marks
- Assigning the CAA in one content area and the general test in another.
- Treating the CAA as a shortened general test; it measures different standards.
- Skipping parent notification and the diploma implication.
- Deciding eligibility at the school site rather than in an IEP team meeting.