Students in the Piedmont Unified School District (PUSD) rank near the top of the list among all school districts in California taking part in the California Assessments of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP).  

The CAASPP is a collection of computer-based assessments in English Language Arts/Literacy, Mathematics and now, Science.  The CAASPP replaced the paper-based Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program beginning in 2014.  Last spring, Piedmont students in grades 3–8, and 11, participated in the 2022-23 CAASPP for English Language Arts and Math. Students in grades 5, 8, and 11 and 12, participated in the Science test "CAST".  

The California Department of Education released school, district and state aggregate results October 18. Piedmont students demonstrated remarkable achievement overall on the CAASPP, ranking third among California unified school districts in English Language Arts (ELA) and in Math. 

Top 7 Results for Unified Districts	ELA		Top 7 Results for Unified Districts	MATH		Top 7 Results for Unified Districts	Science
La Cañada Unified	88.7%		San Marino Unified	85.9%		La Cañada Unified	79.6%
San Marino Unified	88.6%		La Cañada Unified	85.1%		San Marino Unified	75.1%
Piedmont Unified	86.1%		Piedmont Unified	82.4%		Oak Park Unified	72.6%
Palo Alto Unified	82.1%		Palo Alto Unified	79.0%		Palo Alto Unified	68.7%
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified	81.8%		South Pasadena Unified	77.9%		Piedmont Unified	68.3%
South Pasadena Unified	81.5%		Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified	74.8		South Pasadena Unified	67.7%
Oak Park Unified	81.1%		Dublin Unified	74.7%		Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified	66.3%

 

Overall, over 86% of Piedmont students met or exceeded state standards in English Language Arts - about a one percent drop from 2022. In Mathematics, over 82% of students met or exceeded state standards, improving on last year's result. In Science, over 68% of PUSD 5th, 8th and 11th and 12th graders students met or exceeded the rigorous state standards. This is double the state of California average of 30.2%. 

To see Piedmont's full results, visit https://tinyurl.com/pusdcaaspp2023 for ELA and Math, and https://tinyurl.com/pusdcast2023 for Science.

“We are thrilled with the exceptional achievement of our students, and we are grateful to our teachers and staff for their outstanding work,” said PUSD Superintendent, Jennifer Hawn. 

Like class assignments and report cards, the CAASPP assessments are one gauge of student progress, providing information to schools, teachers, and parents about how students perform relative to California’s goals for both learning and college and career readiness.  These results will be used as one of several means to determine and meet student needs, and guide discussions among parents and teachers.    

Individual student score reports of PUSD students are accessible at any time by families electronically on the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Directions are available on the district website. The individual score reports include a link to free tools and resources in reading and mathematics. Other resources for families include:

• Information on CAASPP tests, sample reports, and help for families: Test Score Guide website "Starting Smarter" (https://ca.startingsmarter.org)

• View a complete Sample Individual Score Report (https://www.caaspp.org/administration/reporting/student-score-report.html)

• Visit http://www.greatschools.org/gk/test-guide/ for a detailed explanation of test results for each grade level and subject.