California Alternate Assessments (CAAs)

General Information

The summative California Alternate Assessments (CAAs) for English language arts/literacy (ELA), mathematics, and science are administered to eligible students using the secure browser and test delivery system. The CAAs are for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities and whose individualized education program (IEP) team has designated the use of an alternate assessment on statewide summative assessments.

Eligible students are those whose disability prevents them from taking the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for ELA and mathematics and the California Science Test.

CAAs for ELA, Mathematics, and Science Test Examiner Tutorials

  • 2021–22 CAA Test Examiner Tutorials external icon
    The CAA Test Examiner Tutorial has officially moved from Brainshark to Moodle! The General and CAA for Science sections are available now. The ELA and Mathematics section will be available on December 21, 2021. Participants will be able to log on to Moodle and use an assigned enrollment key to access the test examiner tutorials. To receive the CAA test examiner Certificate of Completion, participants must view 100 percent of all videos and answer all Check for Understanding questions correctly. A check mark to the right of each item on the course content page will indicate that the participant has successfully completed that section and can advance to the next section of the tutorial. After successfully completing the General section of the tutorial, participants must complete the CAA for ELA and Mathematics section, CAA for Science section, or both content-area sections to receive a Certificate of Completion.

  • CAA Test Examiner Tutorial Moodle Template Letter (Posted 09/02/21)
  • CAA Moodle Access At-A-Glance (Posted 09/30/21)

Additional Resources

ELA and Mathematics

The CAAs for ELA and Mathematics are available in grades three through eight and grade eleven and are delivered one on one by a trained CAA test examiner familiar to the student.

ELA and Mathematics Form Assignment

Form assignments are available on the CAAs for ELA and Mathematics Form Assignments web page.

Directions for Administration (DFAs) for the assigned forms are available starting on January 11, 2022, in the Test Operations Management System (TOMS). Take the following steps to access CAA DFAs for ELA and mathematics after this date:

  1. Select the [Resources] button on the TOMS top navigation bar.
  2. Select CAAs for ELA and Mathematics DFAs from the Available Materials list.
  3. Select the button corresponding with the grade being tested.
  4. Scroll down the page to find the form number assigned.
  5. Select a PDF link to initiate the download process.

Second Scoring for the CAA for ELA

Second scoring is the process of having another test examiner (TE) score the same student’s rubric-scored items simultaneously, yet independently, from the student’s primary TE. The purpose of second scoring is to establish and document standardized scoring procedures and evaluate the validity of the rubric-scored items. All LEAs and schools assigned to the Form 5 will be required to participate in second scoring for the CAA for ELA for that year.

CAAs for ELA and Mathematics Practice Test DFAs and Scoring Guides

CAA for ELA and Mathematics Practice Test Scoring Guides and DFAs web page

ELA and Mathematics Resources and Training Materials

Science

The CAA for Science is administered to all eligible students in grades five and eight and one time in high school in grade ten, eleven, or twelve.

Science Form Assignment

The CAA for Science is administered as four separate embedded performance tasks (PTs) that are integrated into each student’s instruction. Embedded PTs are available for administration any time, in any order, between September and the end of the instruction or July 15, whichever comes first.

Form assignments for the 2021–22 administration are available for local educational agencies (LEAs) or school by name or CDS code on the CAA for Science Form Assignments by Name or CDS Code web page.

CAA for Science Directions for Administration

To access the CAA for Science Directions for Administration (DFAs) in the Test Operations Management System (TOMS), take the following steps:

  1. Select the [Resources] button on the TOMS top navigation bar.
  2. Select CAA for Science DFAs from the Available Materials list.
  3. Select the button corresponding with the grade being tested.
  4. Scroll down the page to find the form number assigned.
  5. Select a PDF link to initiate the download process.

CAA for Science Administration Planning Guides

To access the CAA for Science Administration Planning Guides, visit the CAA for Science Administration Planning Guides web page.

Science Resources and Training Materials

Practice Tests

Last Reviewed: Thursday, March 19, 2020

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