Testing and Assessment FAQs
What tests are required as part of the program?
Students enrolled in one of the nine California Virtual Academies (CAVA) are required to take the following tests:
- K12 curriculum lesson, unit, and semester assessments
- CAASPP (Grades 3–11)
- Physical Fitness Test (Grades 5, 7, and 9)
Will my child have to participate in state testing?
All students must comply with all state testing requirements. The state testing location may not be near your house, so you may have to travel to take state proctored tests.
If classwork is assessed with a grade, how are the grades determined?
The California Virtual Academies use specific grading criteria for each course.
Students in TK are evaluated based on mastery of grade-level-appropriate skills and concepts. Teachers assess, instruct, and evaluate student learning and performance. Feedback is given to ensure that all students have enrichment and/or intervention opportunities so they can reach their full academic potential.
Students in elementary school (K–5th grade) are assigned grade marks each semester based on the board-approved grading rubric. Course grading considers the mastery-based K12 curriculum that CAVA uses for the elementary grades, as well as assignments and activities given by the teacher. Students will be evaluated based on whether assigned lessons marked as mastered/completed exceed expectations, meet expectations, or fall below expectations based on lessons and activities assigned on the student’s quarterly Individualized Learning Plan (ILP). For a lesson to be mastered, students must complete all materials within the lesson with an 80% or higher accuracy.
Students in middle school (6–8th grade) earn letter grades in math, English/language arts, history, and science. The criteria for these grades are specific to the subject and primarily include completion and submission of assigned lessons by the due date and completion of assigned assessments. Physical education, music, and art are assigned a grade of exceeds, meets, or below expectations, according to the completion of assigned lessons. Report cards are given at the end of each semester.
For high school students, grades are determined based on their performance on teacher-graded assignments within each course. Teacher-graded activities include the following:
- Practice Lessons
- Web Explorations
- Labs
- Journal Entries
- Class Discussions
- Quizzes
- Tests
- Participation