The Saugus Union School District is celebrating the success of its students and staff following the release of their improved scores on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, or CASPP.
CASPP is a statewide testing system that gauges third- through sixth-grade students’ mastery of mathematics, reading and writing concepts under the Common Core state standards, district leaders said.
“Our results show that 65 percent of our students in grades third (through) sixth are meeting or exceeding standards in the areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking,” said Saugus Union superintendent Colleen Hawkins. In the area of mathematics, 53 percent of the district’s students met or exceeded grade level standards.
The positive increases in each subject are a result of the work done by parents, teachers and administrators, as well as the vision that was set by the governing board, Hawkins said. “But, most importantly, these increases are the result of the hard work and focus on learning done by each of our students.”
For more than three years, the district has attempted to increase its academic success by implementing curriculum and standards that provide students with regular access to technology, district leaders said. In prior years, this took the form of a new mathematics curriculum, but this year, the district is in the process of implementing a new reading and language arts program.
Saugus is also focused on addressing — and closing — the achievement gap by focusing on strategies that support English learners, foster youth and other socio-economically disadvantaged children, according to district leaders.
“As a result of that work, (the district) has seen the gap for English learners close by over 7 percent this year in the area of Reading Language Arts,” Hawkins said, “and by over 3 percent for students identified as socio-economically disadvantaged.”
Despite the successes, the district will continue working together, teachers, administrators, families and students, to achieve more, Hawkins said.
Parents who haven’t had an opportunity to review the test results during the district’s September conferences can find a detailed report of scores at caaspp.cde.ca.gov.
