What’s New in the CAASPP System in 2025⁠–⁠26

CAASPP Online Test Administration Manual

Practice Tests and Training Tests

  • Practice tests and training tests were refreshed—including DFAs and Scoring Guides—for the following testing programs:
    • Smarter Balanced for ELA
    • Smarter Balanced for Mathematics
    • CAST
    • CAA for ELA
    • CAA for Mathematics
    • CAA for Science

CAASPP System of Assessments

CAA for Science

  • The number of embedded PTs has been reduced to three.
  • The number of forms for each embedded PT has been reduced to two.
  • There is no longer a survey presented at the completion of each embedded PT.

CSA

  • In September 2025, the California State Board of Education (SBE) approved the use of the CSA as an option to meet the State Seal of Biliteracy (SSB) primary language assessment requirements. Next steps include submitting updated language to include the CSA to meet, in part, the SSB per Education Code Section 51461(a)(2)(A).

Test Administration Applications

Test Administrator Interface

  • After stopping a test session, a TA or TE can use the [Export] button to download a spreadsheet that contains the details of the session at the time the session was stopped.

Test Delivery System

  • The secure browser was refreshed with new screens.
  • The field where a student enters a session ID is now on the third screen during the student logon flow.
  • A student now selects the [Test Settings] button—which features the universal access [Universal access icon with a person's outline.] icon with a person’s outline—instead of the cogwheel icon to toggle certain assigned embedded designated support and accommodation settings while testing.

Completion Status System

  • The user interface has been refreshed.

Accessibility Resources

Technology

  • Support for the Chameleon 20 and Mantis Q40 refreshable braille displays has been added.

Universal Tools

  • The embedded strikethrough universal tool, which is available for all students, has had its format updated to be more dense—it now contains diagonal lines, for prominence.

Designated Supports

  • The following embedded designated supports, when assigned individually, can be toggled or adjusted while the student is testing:
    • TTS volume, rate, and pitch
    • TTS tracking
    • Color contrast
    • Mouse pointer
  • 100s number table is available as an embedded designated support for CAST and the CAA for Science. The non-embedded 100s number table is still available as a designated support for these science assessments.
  • Multiplication table is available as an embedded designated support for CAST and the CAA for Science. The non-embedded multiplication table is still available as a designated support for these science assessments.
  • The translations (Spanish stacked–dual language) embedded designated support for CAST now uses a toggle so that either English or Spanish items and item response options appear on the screen for a student, but not both.
  • Because it is part of the translations (Spanish stacked–dual language) embedded designated support, the separate description of the embedded translated test directions in Spanish has been removed.
  • The braille paper test English Glossary Student Resource Sheet is available as a non-embedded designated support for CAST.

Accommodations

  • 100s number table is available as an embedded accommodation for the Smarter Balanced for Mathematics and CAA for Mathematics. The non-embedded 100s number table is still available as an accommodation for these mathematics assessments.
  • Multiplication table is available as an embedded accommodation for the Smarter Balanced for Mathematics and CAA for Mathematics. The non-embedded multiplication table is still available as an accommodation for these mathematics assessments.
  • Speech-to-text was added as an embedded and non-embedded accommodation for the CSA.
  • The non-embedded sensory items accommodation is available to be assigned in TOMS.
  • The following features of the embedded TTS accommodation, when assigned individually, can be toggled or adjusted while the student is testing:
    • Volume, rate, and pitch
    • Tracking
  • Embedded word completion now includes a button on the writing toolbar for a CR item that a student can use to deactivate and activate this resource. (The default position is “on.”)
  • Word completion was added as an embedded and non-embedded accommodation for the CSA.

STAIRS and Appeals

  • A new path in STAIRS has been made available to LEAs. The Demographic Error testing issue will allow LEAs that have tested students with incorrect demographics on their TOMS profile a chance to reset an assessment and allow a correction to be made.

Technical Specifications

Refer to the Technical Specifications and Configuration Guide for Online Testing for information about the updated secure browser and operating system versions required for testing in the 2025–26 CAASPP administration.