Smarter Balanced

August 23, 2018

Renewed push to offer SAT and ACT as California's 11th-grade test

Superintendents say free college readiness testing for all would raise SAT/ACT scores and boost college admissions. Opponents say AB 1951 would undermine the usefulness of high school testing.

John Fensterwald

July 10, 2018

Pressure builds to change how California measures student progress on state tests

Student advocacy groups and academics are seeking to adopt a model other states use to calculate the impact of students’ test score growth, but state staff urge patience.

John Fensterwald And Mikhail Zinshteyn

May 9, 2018

A closer look at California’s impressive educational performance

Recent reforms are translating into improved performance, says former state schools chief.

Bill Honig

March 15, 2018

Don’t swap state tests like Smarter Balanced for SAT or ACT, report cautions

State Superintendent Torlakson and some superintendents are at odds on the issue. An analysis by the prominent nonprofit Achieve will add fuel to the debate.

John Fensterwald

March 14, 2018

Ed-Data offers new ways to look at Smarter Balanced test scores

Website provides flexibility, trend data in looking at state's standardized test results.

EdSource staff

February 8, 2018

California's ambitious education reforms paying off in higher graduation rates and math scores, study finds

The study showed a significant increase in math performance, especially among low-income high school students.

Louis Freedberg

January 4, 2018

A focus on writing in every class is key to success in this rural California district

Culture shift included schoolwide writing, comprehensive teacher training, teambuilding, new classes, and stressing importance of standardized tests.

Theresa Harrington

November 8, 2017

State board alters criteria for rating school performance on new state dashboard

State assumed more districts' scores would grow, and they didn't. That created a problem; designating fewer districts in the 'red' is part of the fix.

John Fensterwald

November 8, 2017

Latino students in California face large inequities compared to white peers

An Education Trust-West study found wide achievement gaps, even though Latino students make up a majority of students.

Carolyn Jones

November 6, 2017

Stagnant California test scores pose problem; state board may rejigger how to rate districts

State may change color configurations on the school dashboard to reduce the number of districts and student subgroups requiring county assistance.

John Fensterwald

October 8, 2017

Signs of hope amid Smarter Balanced math scores

Third-graders, the first class taught according to Common Core standards since kindergarten, show the biggest gains.

Carolyn Jones

September 27, 2017

Average scores flat in 3rd year of California's Common Core-aligned tests

Search results for the 2016-17 Smarter Balanced assessments of math and English language arts by school or district and see three-year trendlines for the Common Core-aligned tests.