California Spanish Assessment

Go to: Video || Key Features of the CSA || Testing Materials || Practice Test Scoring Guides || Test Administrator Tutorial for General Assessments || Accessibility Resources || Estimated Testing Times || Reporting || Test Security || The CSA Communications and Outreach Toolkit || Get Involved

The California Spanish Assessment (CSA), presented in Spanish, is available to serve the more than 1.2 million students who speak Spanish as their primary language, as well as those who are learning Spanish as an additional language. Every device used for testing must have the secure browser installed. Stable, high-speed Internet is required.

The purposes of the CSA are to

• measure a student's competency in Spanish reading/language arts and provide student-level data in Spanish competency,
• evaluate the implementation of Spanish reading/language arts programs at the local level, and
• provide a high school measure suitable to be used, in part, for the State Seal of Biliteracy . Currently, the California Spanish Assessment does not meet the requirements identified in California Education Code, Section 51460(a) of the State Seal of Biliteracy.

Who Takes the CSA? The targeted test-taking population of the CSA consists of students in grades three through eight and high school who are receiving instruction in Spanish in California and seeking a measure that recognizes their Spanish-specific reading, writing mechanics, and listening skills.

Visit the California Department of Education (CDE) California Spanish Assessment web page for additional information.

Video

The following videos provide an opportunity to learn about the CSA and its benefits.

• "What is the CSA?" English Video
• "What is the CSA?" Spanish Video

Key Features of the CSA

The CSA is the primary language assessment in Spanish for California students. What follows are some of its key features:

• Aligned with the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts en Español
• Computer-based assessment including technology-enhanced items
• Assesses Spanish reading, writing mechanics, and listening
• Accessible to students with disabilities
• Includes machine-scored writing mechanics items
• Available to all LEAs free of charge

Testing Materials

Administration Materials

• CAASPP Online Test Administration Manual
• CSA scripts —web-based manual chapter
• CSA scripts —stand-alone document
• CAASPP remote testing information

Additional Resources

• CSA High-Level Test Design
• CSA High-Level Test Design Addendum (Posted 12/14/22)
• CSA Blueprint (Posted 04/04/23)
  For use through the 2023–24 administration
• CSA Revised Blueprints (Posted 12/29/22)
  For use beginning with the 2024–25 administration
• CSA Accessibility Supports for Operational Testing (Updated 09/14/18)
• CSA Fact Sheet
• Parent Guide to Understanding the CSA

Testing Notification Templates

Parent/Guardian notification templates are available on the Parent/Guardian Notification web page to notify parents and guardians of the year's statewide assessments.

Practice Test Scoring Guides

The CSA practice and training tests include all accessibility resources found in the operational assessments. Refer to the California Spanish Assessment Online Practice Test Scoring Guides and DFAs web page section for additional information.

Test Administrator Tutorial for General Assessments

The Test Administrator Tutorial is designed to prepare test administrators to administer the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for English language arts/literacy and mathematics, the California Science Test, and the CSA. This tutorial is optional and may be used in addition to the LEA's local training.

The tutorial is available on the CAASPP Test Administrator Tutorial web page on the CAASPP website, so no logon information is required. This public offering does not allow for tracking of course completion. LEA CAASPP coordinators can use the Test Administration Tutorial course on the Moodle Training Site if they want to track staff completion of the course. Moodle will provide participants with an online Certificate of Completion after a participant answers the Checks for Understanding questions correctly.

The following resources are available for LEA CAASPP coordinators and site CAASPP coordinators:

• CAASPP Test Administrator Tutorial Moodle Template Letter (Posted 01/11/23)
• Moodle Access At-A-Glance (Posted 01/18/22)

Accessibility Resources

Once it has been determined that a student should receive an embedded or non-embedded designated support or accommodation, an LEA CAASPP coordinator or site CAASPP coordinator should assign the student's accessibility resource(s) in TOMS at least 48 hours prior to testing. More information about accessibility resources can be found on the CAASPP Accessibility Resources web page.

Estimated Testing Times for the CSA

Administration of the CSA is estimated to take approximately two hours. Note that the CSA is an untimed test and students should be given as much time as they need to complete this assessment.

Reporting

Once a student completes the CSA, the student's score will be available in the California Educator Reporting System (CERS) . Student Score Reports (SSRs) will be produced and available for download in TOMS and made available to parents and guardians through parent or student portals.

Typically, an LEA can access results in the CERS and SSRs in TOMS by September of the test administration year, after the CDE verifies and approves the data.

Each student receives an SSR in English and one in the student's primary language if that language is Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Filipino, Korean, or Cantonese (traditional Chinese). To view a sample SSR in each language, visit the CAASPP Sample Student Score Reports (SSRs) web page. If the student needs an SSR in one of the provided languages and that language is not the student's primary language, the LEA should change the language of the SSR in TOMS prior to student testing.

Test Security

LEA CAASPP coordinators and site CAASPP coordinators have the ability to submit STAIRS cases in TOMS as a means of reporting testing incidents. Refer to the CAASPP and ELPAC Security Incidents and Appeals Procedure Guide and the Test Security web page for more information.

The CSA Communications and Outreach Toolkit

The CSA Communications and Outreach Toolkit contains resources to help LEAs communicate about the CSA and CSA score reports.

Get Involved

ETS is recruiting bilingual, biliterate California educators with experience in teaching Spanish at varying grade levels to participate in the continuing development of the CSA.

To apply, navigate to the Get Involved web page. All qualified applicants will be contacted as specific opportunities become available.

Last Reviewed: March 11, 2022