Students in the Piedmont Unified School District (PUSD) rank near the pinnacle of 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 2023-24 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 10. Piedmont students demonstrated remarkable achievement overall on the CAASPP, ranking third among California unified school districts in English Language Arts (ELA) and in Math, and fourth in Science. 

Top 7 Results for Unified Districts	ELA		Top 7 Results for Unified Districts	MATH		Top 7 Results for Unified Districts	Science
San Marino Unified	88.9%		San Marino Unified	87.4%		La Cañada Unified	77.5%
La Cañada Unified	86.8%		La Cañada Unified	84.0%		San Marino Unified	73.8%
Piedmont Unified	85.4%		Piedmont Unified	81.1%		Oak Park Unified	73.2%
South Pasadena	82.4%		South Pasadena Unified	78.7%		Piedmont Unified	72.6%
Manhattan Beach	81.2%		Palo Alto Unified	78.2%		Palo Alto Unified	72.1%
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified	81.2%		Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified	75.5%		South Pasadena Unified	69.6%
Palo Alto Unified	80.5%		Manhattan Beach	75.1%		Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified	69.0%

The State of California overall level of achievement in English Language Arts in 2024 was 47%.  In Mathematics, the state average of meeting/exceeding was 35.5%.  For Science nearly 31% of students in the state of California met or exceeded proficiency in state standards.

Individual student score reports are accessed by parents electronically on the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Directions are available on the district website (https://www.piedmont.k12.ca.us/default-tech/~board/tech-support/post/infinite-campus-1676193312166).  Also available with the student score report are Lexile and Quantile reports. A Lexile measure indicates the difficulty of materials a child can read and understand. It is based on the child’s ELA score. A Quantile measure shows what mathematical skills a student has mastered and which skills they need additional instruction in. It is based on the child’s mathematics score.  The individual score reports include a link to free tools and resources in reading and mathematics. 

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.   

To see Piedmont's full results, visit https://tinyurl.com/pusdcaaspp2024 for ELA and Math, and https://tinyurl.com/pusdcast2024 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. 

Resources for Families

• 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.