SBAC
Practice Tests

The Performance Task (PT) is a unique component of SBAC — an extended, multi-step assignment given in addition to the Computer-Adaptive Test (CAT). For ELA, students read a set of sources on one topic, answer a research question, and write a full essay (CDE's average time for the ELA task is about 2 hours). For Math, students solve 4-6 multi-step problems requiring reasoning explanations. PTs are hand-scored by trained graders using Smarter Balanced rubrics. No other major state test has an equivalent multi-day extended task.

Yes and no. SBAC (Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium) is the multi-state assessment program — used in California, Washington, Oregon, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Michigan, Nevada, South Dakota, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. CAASPP (California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress) is California's name for its statewide testing program, which INCLUDES the SBAC test plus the CAST (California Science Test). When parents say 'CAASPP,' they often mean SBAC; when they say 'SBAC,' they often mean the California version.

Same test, different students. California has the highest English Learner share in the country (~21% of K-12 students) and a higher economically-disadvantaged share than Washington or Oregon. PPIC and PACE research consistently shows California's gap with neighboring SBAC states is explained by demographics — not test difficulty or instructional quality. On the same SBAC test, California posts ~47% ELA proficient, Washington ~47%, Oregon ~47% — close on aggregate, but the underlying populations differ enormously.

California's State Board of Education approved new reporting labels for all four CAASPP achievement levels in March 2025, and they are used starting with 2025-26 results. Level 1 'Standard Not Met' became 'Minimal.' Level 2 'Standard Nearly Met' became 'Developing.' Level 3 'Standard Met' became 'Proficient.' Level 4 'Standard Exceeded' became 'Advanced.' The test questions, scale scores and cut scores did NOT change — only the labels and descriptions. CDE says the change addresses the inaccurate perception that Level 3 is a grade-level cutoff and that students below it are 'below grade level.'

Developing is Level 2 of 4 on California's CAASPP score reports. It is the same level that used to be called 'Standard Nearly Met' — same scale-score range, new name. The score report wording is that the student 'demonstrated developing grade-level knowledge and skills.' CDE stresses that all four levels describe grade-level learning, so Developing does not mean 'below grade level'; it means the child is partway to Proficient (Level 3). For example, in grade 5 math Developing is 2455-2527 and Proficient starts at 2528. Check the detailed area results (Above Proficient, At or Near Proficient, Below Proficient) to see which skills to practice.

Yes. CDE's table maps Level 2 'Standard Nearly Met' directly to 'Developing,' and the scale scores and cut scores did not change. A child who was 'Standard Nearly Met' last year and 'Developing' this year is in the same level.

For the 2026-27 school year, the CDE's California Assessment Timeline (August 2026) shows the statewide Smarter Balanced ELA/math window running from January through June 2027. Each district schedules its own testing days inside that window, so ask your child's school for specific test dates. Tests are untimed.

CAASPP is California's overall statewide testing program. CAST (California Science Test) is the science portion of CAASPP — administered in grades 5, 8, and once in high school. CAST is phenomenon-based and aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). In 2025-26, 35.99% of students scored Proficient or Advanced on CAST (up from 32.65% in 2024-25), below ELA (49.27%) and close to math (38.35%). Treat CAST as a separate test with separate prep needs.

California Education Code 60615 allows parental refusal of CAASPP testing in writing. Parents may submit a written refusal letter to the school; the student is then exempted from that year's testing. There is no penalty to the student; participation rates affect school accountability metrics.

Grades 3-8 take CAASPP for ELA and Math (the SBAC portion). Grade 11 also takes SBAC. Grades 5, 8, and once in high school take CAST (the California Science Test). Some students may also take the California Spanish Assessment (CSA) and English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC).

Performance Tasks are scored by trained graders using Smarter Balanced rubrics — ranging from 0-4 on multiple dimensions (organization, evidence, conventions, etc. for ELA writing). PT scores roll up into the overall claim-level scores you see on the score report. PTs are NOT computer-scored — they're hand-scored, which is why CAASPP results take longer than some other state tests.

SBAC reports performance not just as one overall score but in 'claim' areas. ELA breaks into Reading, Writing, Listening, and Research/Inquiry. Math breaks into Concepts & Procedures, Problem Solving & Modeling/Data Analysis, and Communicating Reasoning. Your score report shows which claims your child is strong or weak in — much more useful than the single overall level for guiding practice.

California's SBAC administration is effectively untimed within the school day — students get as much time as they need. CDE's average testing times for grades 3-8 are about 45 minutes for the ELA CAT plus 2 hours for the ELA Performance Task, and 45 minutes (grades 3-5) or 1 hour (grades 6-8) for the math CAT plus 1 hour for the math Performance Task. These are averages; students can take longer if they need to.

Tony Thurmond, since January 2019. His current term runs through January 2027 — he is term-limited. Voters choose his successor on November 3, 2026, between the top two finishers in the June primary, Sonja Shaw and Richard Barrera. Thurmond ran for governor in the June 2, 2026 top-two primary and did not advance. In January 2026, he announced the California Literacy Moonshot — a five-year plan to close the third-grade literacy gap.