CAST

CAST
Feature	Description
Purpose	To show a student’s performance on the CAASPP System assessments to parents/‌guardians, students, and teachers.
Format	The CAASPP SSR for the CAST consists of a single two-sided page: Page 1 Student’s achievement level and scale score for the current year Descriptions of the CAASPP System and score meaning Student information Page 2 Science area (domain) performance Additional information for parents/guardians
Action	Pursuant to 5 CCR Section 863, LEAs must notify parents/guardians and make SSRs available within 20 working days of its delivery to the LEA in TOMS. If the LEA receives the SSRs after the last day of instruction for the school year, the LEA shall make the SSR available to the parent/‌guardian no later than the first 20 working days of the next school year.
Focus	Individual student’s results for science

Data displayed on the samples in this guide are for demonstration purposes only. Sample SSRs may include minor variances from actual SSRs.

Description

The SSR for the CAST provides parents/guardians and teachers with the student’s results.

Information about the CAST is provided for students in grade five, grade eight, and high school (grade ten, eleven, or twelve).

Data presented for the CAST includes the following:

Scale scores
Achievement levels:
- Standard Exceeded (Level 4)
- Standard Met (Level 3)
- Standard Nearly Met (Level 2)
- Standard Not Met (Level 1)
Scale score ranges
Domain-level performance:
- Above Standard
- Near Standard
- Below Standard

Example SSR

CAST SSRs feature colored bar graphs representing the four achievement levels in the following order from top to bottom:

Standard Exceeded (Level 4) (blue)
Standard Met (Level 3) (green)
Standard Nearly Met (Level 2) (yellow)
Standard Not Met (Level 1) (orange)

Because each assessment is aligned with a specific set of academic standards, these scores cannot be compared between assessments for different content areas (for example, between the science and mathematics assessments), results type (for example, scale scores and achievement levels), or on tests administered previously in California (such as for the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program).

Score ranges for each achievement level are different for each grade level, and the standards for the next grade level are more challenging than for the previous grade level. As a result, an increase in the overall score may not mean a higher achievement level for the current year.

Under certain circumstances, such as when results are associated with a particular special condition code, a message will appear on the SSR. Possible messages and their associated condition codes are presented in table 1. Refer to the Condition Code Descriptions section in Interpreting Results for information about when a condition code applies.

Table 1. CAST SSR Condition Code Messages
Condition Code	Message
LOSS	[Student’s name]’s scores should be used with caution as the test was administered under conditions that may not represent [Student name]’s achievement.
NS	[Student’s name] did not complete the [content area] assessment. For additional information, please contact [Student’s name]’s teacher(s) or school.
NS	There were not enough questions answered to report [Student’s name] achievement in all domains.
NT	[Student’s name] did not take the CAST assessment. For additional information, please contact [Student’s name]’s teacher(s) or school.
NTE	[Student’s name] did not complete the CAST assessment because of a medical emergency.

Page 1 of 2, Top: Student Information

Top of the first page of the CAASPP Smarter Balanced SSR, with callouts pointing to the student name, student information, and information about statewide assessments

Figure 1. Student information on page one of the CAST SSR

Table 2. The SSR for the CAST: Student Information Descriptions
#	Feature	Description
1	Student’s mailing address	This area shows the student’s residential address as listed in CALPADS.
2	Student and school information	This area shows information about the student and the school and LEA name, as well as the county/district/‌school code. Note that the grade noted indicates the grade level in which the student was enrolled at the start of testing.
3	CAST results overview	This paragraph provides an overview of the purpose of CAST results.

Page 1 of 2, Bottom: Score Overview

Bottom of the first page of the CAST SSR, with callouts pointing to the student's achievement level, the list of achievement levels, and a description of the CAST

Figure 2. Score overview on page one of the CAST SSR

Table 3. The SSR for the CAST: Score Overview Descriptions
#	Feature	Description
1	Content area achievement level	This box provides the student’s achievement level for the CAST.
2	Achievement levels	This area lists the CAST achievement levels.
3	Testing program overview	This area provides a description of the CAST. In the sample, the CAST for high school (e.g., grade ten, eleven, or twelve) is shown.

Page 2 of 2, Sample Content Area Section, Top: Content Area Summary

Content area summary at the top of pages two and three of the CAST SSR, with callouts pointing at the student's achievement level, progress summary, and score ranges

Figure 3. Content area summary on page two of the CAST SSR

Table 4. The SSR for the CAST: Summary of Student Results
#	Feature	Description
1	Score summary	This indicator summarizes the student’s achievement level for the content area. If the student did not test, the achievement level number and label are replaced here with “Not Tested.”
1	Not tested (Not shown)	If present, additional text will be included in the progress summary section for the content area if the student did not receive a score because the student did not take the assessment.
2	Performance summary	This paragraph describes the student’s progress based on the student’s achievement level for the content area. Summaries are listed in the Performance Summary Text subsection.
2	Special condition (Not shown)	A cautionary message also will be included under the progress summary for one of the following reasons: Invalidate Appeal Student did not answer enough questions for scoring so received the LOSS Student had an unlisted resource that changes the construct being measured (5 CCR Section 835.8)
3	Score ranges	A chart provides data for the student’s current achievement level and overall score.

Performance Summary Text

Possible progress summary outcomes for students are as follows:

[Student]’s score of [score] did not meet the standard for [grade level] science.
[Student]’s score of [score] nearly met the standard for [grade level] science.
[Student]’s score of [score] met the standard for [grade level] science.
[Student]’s score of [score] exceeded the standard for [grade level] science.

Page 2, Middle: Science Area Performance

Area performance summary in the middle of page two of the CAST SSR, with callouts pointing to the claims and performance levels

Figure 4. Science area performance on page two of the CAST SSR

Table 5. The SSR for the CAST: Science Area Performance
#	Feature	Description
1	Domains (Areas)	The items on the tests are grouped into areas called “domains.” Domains are based on the content standards, which describe what students know and can do at each grade level relative to the overall Standard Met achievement level for the grade level.
2	Performance	This section of the chart shows performance levels for the assessment’s domains; a check mark indicates how the student performed relative to that domain. The performance levels for the claims are Above Standard, Near Standard, and Below Standard. If the student did not take all the items needed to receive a score in that area, “No Score” will be shown with a message.

Page 2, Bottom: Additional Information

Bottom of the second page of the CAST SSR, with callouts pointing at the parent/guardian resources information and URL for the Test Results for California's Assessments website

Figure 5. Additional information on page two of the CAST SSR

Table 6. The SSR for the CAST: Parent/Guardian Resources
#	Feature	Description
1	Starting Smarter website information	This section describes the Smarter Balanced Starting Smarter website, which describes SSRs and other information that supports student learning.
2	CAASPP results website information	This section describes the Test Results for California’s Assessment website on which results for schools, districts, and the state are found.