Assessments
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A New ApproachTop of Page
Ravenswood City School District students are on the path! The State of California worked with other states, educators, business leaders, and colleges to define the skills needed for students to graduate college and be career-ready. Along with other states, we have shifted our focus to teaching these higher thinking skills, and regularly check progress to ensure our students are moving toward their learning goals. Now, with the new assessments that measure growth over time, we’ll have the information we need to adjust teaching and improve learning, increasing each student’s opportunity to succeed.
California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) is an interactive, challenging and uniquely accessible test with questions that require higher level thinking skills, look like real life problems, and are similar to expected classroom work. CAASPP provides information that informs action in the classroom.
California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) is an interactive, challenging and uniquely accessible test with questions that require higher level thinking skills, look like real life problems, and are similar to expected classroom work. CAASPP provides information that informs action in the classroom.
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How We Use Language Screeners to Support Your ChildTop of Page
At Los Robles - Ronald McNair Academy, we want to ensure every child, regardless of disability, communication style, or home language, is supported from day one. One of the ways we do that is by using oral language screeners for all incoming students. These screeners help us understand how your child communicates in Spanish, English, or both, and how we can best support early learning. Screeners may include short literacy activities, family interviews, and observations during classroom interactions. It’s important to know:
These screeners help us plan how to support your child’s development in both languages, especially as they begin to read, write, and engage in academic tasks.
We value your insights, and your input helps shape how we meet your child’s learning needs.
By understanding each student’s oral language strengths early on, we can better support their success in a rigorous and enriching dual language environment.
For Kindergarten and First Grade:
Language screeners help us understand how your child communicates in Spanish, English, or both. These tools may include short language activities, family interviews, and classroom observations. They help us:
Language screeners help us understand how your child communicates in Spanish, English, or both. These tools may include short language activities, family interviews, and classroom observations. They help us:
- Identify language strengths and areas of support
- Plan small group instruction and early reading strategies
- Build the right foundation for bilingual learning
These screeners are not used to determine eligibility for the program - they help us plan how to best support your child’s learning and development in two languages.
For Second through Fifth Grade:
Because our 90:10 DLI model begins in kindergarten and builds year by year, incoming students in grades 2–5 are joining a program with several years of Spanish-language instruction already in place.
Because our 90:10 DLI model begins in kindergarten and builds year by year, incoming students in grades 2–5 are joining a program with several years of Spanish-language instruction already in place.
For these students, oral language screeners help us determine whether the student’s Spanish proficiency is strong enough to integrate into the DLI classroom without significant gaps. Students entering in upper grades who do not have strong Spanish language skills may face challenges catching up, as core academic instruction is delivered in Spanish.
In these cases, we:
- Assess both conversational and academic Spanish proficiency
- Review academic history and previous language exposure
- Meet with families to discuss appropriate placement options and supports
This process helps ensure that students are set up for success and not placed in a setting where they may feel overwhelmed or unsupported. We will always work with families to make a thoughtful decision based on the child’s language profile, academic readiness, and wellbeing.
What We Ask of Families
At Los Robles - Ronald McNair Academy, we believe families are essential partners in the success of all students - whether your child is in general education, receives special education services, or both. To help your child thrive in our dual language immersion (DLI) program, we ask that you:
- Participate actively in school events like parent-teacher conferences, monthly parent workshops, and (when applicable) IEP meetings
- Share what works well for your child at home or in past school experiences
- Support your child’s bilingual development by reading, speaking, or engaging in cultural activities in your home language(s)
- Help us stay connected by checking in regularly with your child’s teacher and support team
- Understand that dual language immersion is academically rigorous, and that growth in two languages takes time, persistence, and partnership
Your involvement helps us create a strong learning community where all students feel seen, heard, and supported.