Upcoming Material Ordering and Pre-ID Deadlines
Below are the material ordering and Pre-ID deadlines for the upcoming 2008-09 administrations of the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE). All deadlines are at 5:00 p.m. CAHSEE administration questions should be directed to Educational Testing Service (ETS), the test contractor, at 1-800-241-5687.
| Administration | Test Material Ordering Deadline | Pre-ID Deadline | Late Pre-ID Deadline | Supplemental Shipment Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 7-8, 2008 | August 22 | September 3 | September 23 | September 29 |
| November 4-5, 2008 | September 22 | October 1 | October 20 | October 27 |
| December 6 and 13, 2008 | October 28 | November 6 | November 17 | November 21 |
| Writing Prompt Field Test December 8-12 | October 28 | November 6 | November 17 | November 21 |
Upcoming Opportunity to Participate in Writing Prompt Field Test
ETS is seeking school districts that will volunteer to participate in a December field test of English-language arts (ELA) writing prompts. The writing prompts will be administered to grade ten students in California high schools during the week of December 8-12, 2008. The tests are designed to be administered within a single classroom period lasting about 40 to 50 minutes. Districts are encouraged to participate in the writing prompt field test. For more information or to participate in the field test, call ETS CAHSEE Support at 1-800-241-5687.
2007-08 Apportionment Information Reports
In September, the CAHSEE Apportionment Information Report for the 2007-08 school year will be mailed to county and district superintendents and charter school administrators. Superintendents and administrators are required to certify that the district has returned all secure test materials, certify the accuracy of the report, sign and date the report, and return the report to the Standards and Assessment Division. Administration apportionments may be withheld from any school district that fails to return all of its secure test materials. The certified reports must be postmarked by December 31, 2008. Certified reports received after this date must be accompanied by a waiver request as provided by California Education Code Section 33050.
The CAHSEE apportionment is $3.00 for each student tested, regardless of whether the student took one or both sections (English-language arts and/or mathematics) of the CAHSEE. The CAHSEE apportionment for students not tested is $0.32 and applies only to the grade ten students who were absent during the census administration (February or March), and for whom demographic data was submitted.
Questions about CAHSEE apportionments should be directed to the CAHSEE Office at 916-445-9449.
2008-09 Parent Notification Assistance Packet Now Available
Beginning in grade nine, students and their parents or guardians must receive written notice of the CAHSEE requirement from their school district. This notice must be provided at the beginning of the school year. At the end of July, the CDE released the CAHSEE assistance packet Notifying Parents and Guardians for the 2008-09 School Year to assist school districts in providing this notification. This assistance packet, which is posted on the CAHSEE Resources Web page, includes a sample notification flyer and suggestions for informing students and their parents or guardians about the CAHSEE. A Spanish translation of the documents for parents and guardians in this assistance packet will be available on the CAHSEE Web site in mid-August.
Intensive Instruction Funds
According to California Education Code Section 37254, funds may be allocated in the annual Budget Act to provide intensive instruction to those students who have not yet satisfied the CAHSEE requirement and have failed one or more parts of the CAHSEE by the end of grade twelve. However, for the 2008-09 school year, distribution of intensive instruction funds may be delayed until the passage of the State’s budget. In the meantime, districts should continue to collect data regarding the number of students enrolled in both grade eleven and grade twelve who have not passed one or both parts of the CAHSEE. More information will be forthcoming when the budget has passed.
Excessive Test Materials Ordering Fee
Beginning with the July 2008 administration of the CAHSEE, school districts will be accountable for excessive material orders. Please note the following points regarding excessive material orders:
- School districts will only be charged if the total quantity of excessive materials is greater than 100 and the overages exceed 20 percent of the total booklets ordered.
- The automatic overage of test booklets that schools and districts receive, 5 percent and 10 percent respectively, will not be factored into the calculation of excessive material orders.
- The calculation of excessive materials will be done annually, and will combine orders for all administrations within the school year. This will allow school districts to balance out their orders over the course of the school year.
- In no case will the cost to the school district for excessive materials exceed the amount per test booklet and accompanying material that is paid to the contractor by the California Department of Education (CDE) as part of the contract with the test contractor.
Upcoming North-South Meetings
The Assessment and Accountability Branch of the CDE will provide an update on each of its programs at its annual North-South Meetings. The presentations will include an overview of the California Assessment System, as well as information about the following programs:
- CAHSEE
- Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) and Early Assessment Program (EAP)
- Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), Academic Performance Index (API), and Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAO)
- Categorical Program Monitoring (CMP) Alignment
- Physical Fitness Testing (PFT)
- Data Management including California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS)
- California English Language Development Test (CELDT)
The meetings will be held in Sacramento on September 16 at the Sacramento Convention Center and in Ontario on September 23 at the Ontario Double Tree. District and county superintendents and charter school administrators will receive an invitation letter with more information mid-August. District test coordinators will receive this invitation letter by e-mail.
Release of 2007-08 Summary Results
On September 9, 2008, CDE is scheduled to release to the public the summary results for the 2007-08 CAHSEE administrations. Results at the school, district, county, and state levels will be posted on the CAHSEE Reporting Web page.
At the end of August, the CDE is scheduled to release the CAHSEE assistance packet Explaining 2007-08 Summary Results on the CAHSEE Resources Web page. The packet will provide assistance in navigating the CDE CAHSEE Web site in order to access summary CAHSEE results and to understand the online summary reports.
Study Guides and Teacher Guides
The revised study guides and teacher guides for mathematics and English-language arts are scheduled to be posted in late August on the CAHSEE Resources Web page. Printing of the study guides will not take place until the State has passed its budget. An e-mail with direction regarding how to order printed study guides will be sent to district test coordinators when information becomes available. District and site administrators are encouraged to plan carefully to make best use of the guides—for example, extra guides could be used to create a classroom set or be placed in the school library. Reusing the guides is a way to insure that districts maintain supplies for new students or for grade eleven, twelve or adult education students who did not pass the CAHSEE.
Released Test Questions
It is anticipated that released test questions will be available on the CAHSEE Resources Web page in October. More information about preparing students for state assessments can be found on the Student Testing Web page.
More Information
Additional information about the CAHSEE is available on the CAHSEE Web page. Questions about the CAHSEE can be directed to the CAHSEE Office, at 916-445-9449.
