The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) is an annual state-administered test that measures students’ performance in English and math. They are administered over the course of two weeks each April, with the English section first and the math section last. For the English CAASPP, 453 out of 519 enrolled 11th graders tested, and 461 out of 520 enrolled 11th graders took the math CAASPP test for the 2024-25 school year.
M-A saw a decline in its 2024-25 CAASPP testing scores compared to 2023-24. In 2024-25, 69.31% of students were proficient in English, and 50.87% of students were proficient in Math.
Compared to the 2023-24 scores, M-A saw a 2.7% absolute decrease in proficiency in English and a 3.4% absolute decrease in proficiency in math.
The decrease in CAASPP scores last year may be explained by the reduced participation of Asian and white students, who are typically the strongest performers. In the 2023-24 school year, six white students enrolled for it did not take the test. However, in 2024-25, 25 white and five Asian enrolled students did not take the English test.
“If we’re looking at who’s not taking the test, it’s our white and Asian students who are not taking the test. If we had 100% test takers and we scored a 55%, I’d be fine with that, right? That’s where students are. That’s what we’re gonna work on. But if our score decreased by 2% to 3% and we had a large chunk of students not take the test, and that caused the decrease, then I’m unhappy,” AP Literature and Composition and Leadership teacher Susie Choe said.
Higher participation levels among Hispanic students were evident this year. While the overall number of Hispanic students taking the English CAASPP declined from 182 to 167 in 2024-25, only 12.1% opted out in 2024-25, compared to 14.5% in 2023-24.
The math CAASPP also experienced a similar decrease in the number of enrolled students testing.
It’s important to note that Instructional Vice Principal Emily Rigotti worked to provide makeups for students who were absent on the CAASPP testing day.
The District prepares its students for the CAASPP by having them take the Interim Comprehensive Assessment (ICA), an optional practice version of the state test, every year. The ICA is district-made and has the same formatting as the CAASPP, multiple choice, but with different questions.
The District usually distributes the ICA for English and math every year, but for the 2024-25 school year, they did not issue a math ICA. “I heard there was some issue with the questions, and they just didn’t have enough time to get a new test together, but that’s just what I’ve heard,” Choe said.
Although the scores are lower than in previous years, M-A was not the only school in the district whose scores dropped.
M-A teachers may pose a solution to reduce absences by giving students extra credit for taking the CAASPP. Some teachers give credit for students taking the CAASPP, however, this possible solution has not been formally implemented by the District.
“We as a school are dinged. If we don’t get a certain percentage of students taking the test as a whole, then the state of California comes to us and says, ‘you’re a problem,’” Choe said.
CAASPP tests for 2025-26 will be administered in April 2026. Ensuring maximum participation at M-A will continue to be a priority.
