Standards, Assessment, and Accountability Division
Cumulative Benchmarks

LITERACY

Cumulative Literacy Benchmarks are district-developed, standards-based assessments for students in Grades 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8; they assess students' understandings in relation to state standards; results show what students are able to do as a result of teaching; results also help determin supports to help students develop skills in literacy.

MATHEMATICS

Cumulative Mathematics Benchmarks are district-developed, standards-based assessment for students in Grades 3-9; they assess students' mathematical understandings in relation to state standards; results show what students are able to do as a result of teaching; results also help determine supports to help students develop mathematical understanding.

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Degrees of Reading Power (DRP)
The Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) is a direct measure of reading comprehension administered to all students participating in Striving Schools (Grades 7 & 8: Bell, Challenger, Farb, Kroc, Marston, Montgomery, Roosevelt, Taft and Grades 9 & 10:  Clairemont, Crawford CHAMPS, Kearny DMD, Kearny SIB, Madison, Mira Mesa, Morse, San Diego High Science & Technology) including English Learners and students enrolled in Special Day Classes, Non-severe. The test provides reading levels for individual students and classes of students. The DRP is administered in early fall and late spring, providing pre- and post-assessment data.

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End-of-Course Exams
End-of-Course exams are district-developed, standards-based assessments for students in the second semester of selected subjects in high school. End-of-Course exams:
  • Establish effectiveness of curriculum in each subject.
  • Ensure course content is focused on state standards.
  • Establish common level of expected performance.
  • Ensure evaluation of student performance is consistent across classrooms and schools.
  • Help identify students who need additional help to meet graduation requirements.

End-of-Course exams are presently administered for Algebra 1-2; English 1,2; English 3,4; Biology 1,2 and World History and Geography 1,2 (piloted in Spring 2006), Chemistry 1,2, Geometry 1-2, and Intermediated Algebra 1-2.

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Practice California High School School Exit Exam (CAHSEE)

Beginning in the 2005-06 school year, no student can receive a public high school diploma without having passed the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE), as well as having met the District's requirements for graduation.  The purpose of administering the Practice CAHSEE is to help the District identify students who are in need of additional support to pass the CAHSEE and provide information on the effectiveness of District support and intervention programs.  During the 2006-07 school year, the Practice CAHSEE will be administered in the fall to all Grade 10 students and in the spring to all Grade 9 students.  In future years beginning in 2007-08, it will be administered only once, in the spring, to all Grade 9 students.

The Practice CAHSEE contains items from previous administrations of the CAHSEE that have been released by the California Department of Education (CDE).  The Practice CAHSEE has two parts: an English-Language Arts section, which consists of 50 multiple-choice questions and one writing task; and, a Mathematics section, which contains 50 multiple-choice questions.

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