SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson launched a new era of student testing in California today, providing online exams in English language arts/literacy and mathematics to more than 3 million students based on the states more challenging academic standards.

Students in grades three through eight and eleven can now begin taking the new California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) in the first statewide administration of new tests to replace the paper-based, multiple-choice Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program. The new tests allow students to demonstrate their ability to write analytically, think critically, and solve problems along with their knowledge of facts.

“These tests reflect the exciting changes taking place in California classrooms. Instead of being asked to merely pick out multiple-choice answers, students are being tested on their ability to reason and think. They must draw logical conclusions and cite evidence from what they have read, and they must solve real-world math problems,” Torlakson said. “And now, like an academic check-up, these tests will give parents, teachers, and schools the feedback they need to help students succeed.”

via New Era of Student Assessment – Year 2015 (CA Dept of Education).