CAASPP 2026 Results: New Labels, Same Cut Scores
California has renamed the four CAASPP achievement levels starting with 2025-26 score reports — the test, scoring, and cut scores are unchanged. Here's exactly what's different, when your child's report arrives, and what the October 15 statewide release means.
- What Changed on 2025-26 CAASPP Reports
- What Didn't Change
- What Last Year's Results Showed
- Why California Made the Change
- When Results Actually Arrive
- Your Child's Score Report
- The October Statewide Release
- Statewide Results Become the Next Major Education Milestone
- What This Means for Parents
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Sources
New achievement-level language aims to make results easier to understand, while testing standards remain unchanged.
California students and families will find new descriptions of achievement levels on their 2025-26 statewide assessment score reports. But education officials say the change is intended to make communication clearer, not to change academic standards or scoring thresholds.
The California Department of Education (CDE) has issued new versions of Reporting Achievement Level Descriptors (ALDs) for California’s Smarter Balanced Assessments in English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA) and Mathematics and the California Science Test (CAST). The new descriptions are intended to help students, parents, and educators better understand what each level of performance means.
What Changed in the 2025-26 CAASPP Reports?
CDE renamed all four reporting levels for the Smarter Balanced English language arts/literacy and math tests and the California Science Test (CAST).
The subject-area sub-labels changed too: "Above Standard," "Near Standard," and "Below Standard" became "Above Proficient," "At or Near Proficient," and "Below Proficient."
| Level | Old Label (through 2024-25) | New Label (2025-26 on) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Standard Exceeded | Advanced |
| 3 | Standard Met | Proficient |
| 2 | Standard Nearly Met | Developing |
| 1 | Standard Not Met | Minimal |
What Didn't Change
The changes to California’s 2025–26 student score reports are limited to the achievement-level labels and the descriptions associated with them.
The assessment itself has not changed as a result of this reporting update. The tests, scoring method, and scale-score cutoffs separating achievement levels remain the same as in previous years. In practical terms, a scale score that would have placed a student in “Standard Met” under the previous terminology places that student in “Proficient” under the new terminology, assuming the same assessment and applicable grade-level standards.
That means families can continue to use a child’s scale scores and achievement levels to understand performance across school years. The change in terminology should not, by itself, be interpreted as a change in a student’s academic performance or as a new set of standards.
The state is also updating the terminology used for certain subject-area performance details, including labels such as “Above Proficient,” “At or Near Proficient,” and “Below Proficient.” These reporting changes are intended to provide clearer information about student performance while leaving the underlying scoring framework unchanged.
What last year’s results showed
The most recent statewide assessment results from the 2024–25 school year showed modest improvement in several areas.
According to CDE data:
| Subject / Test | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts — Met or Exceeded Standards | 47.0% | 48.8% | +1.8 pts |
| Mathematics — Met or Exceeded Standards | 35.5% | 37.3% | +1.8 pts |
| California Science Test — Levels 3 or 4 | 30.7% | 32.7% | +2.0 pts |
State officials noted that assessment results should be considered alongside other measures, including attendance, graduation rates, discipline data and college readiness indicators, to understand student and school performance more completely.
Why California Made the Change
CDE's stated reason: the old labels created a false impression that Level 3 ("Standard Met") was a pass/fail line and that students below it were "below grade level." Every CAASPP question measures grade-level standards—the four levels show different depths of understanding of that same grade-level material, not different grade levels. The new label wording is meant to make that clearer.
When Results Actually Arrive
Two separate releases happen months apart, and most parents asking when CAASPP results come out mean the first one.
Your Child's Score Report
Individual Student Score Reports (SSRs) go out on a rolling basis. For Smarter Balanced ELA/math and the California Science Test, Student Score Data Files and CERS results became available May 14, 2026, with SSRs following in TOMS and parent/student portals on May 15, 2026. Remaining Smarter Balanced and CAST reports continue through mid-August 2026, and Alternate Assessments (CAAs) and the California Spanish Assessment (CSA) follow in late August 2026. Districts then have a set window to pass reports on to families.
The October Statewide Release
Statewide and school-level results—the aggregate data used for comparisons, district reporting, and the California School Dashboard—are expected to become public in October 2026. Under Education Code 52064.5(f)(2), 2026 is the first year the Dashboard is set to release on the same day as statewide assessment data. CDE has not yet published the exact 2026 date; the 2025 statewide results were released October 10, 2025. This release is the moment the new labels appear in public data for the first time.
| Release | What It Is | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Individual SSRs | Smarter Balanced ELA/math/CAST, to districts | May 14 – Mid-Aug 2026 |
| Individual SSRs | Alternate Assessments (CAAs) and CSA | Late Aug 2026 |
| 📢 Statewide + School-Level Results | Public aggregate data, first year under new labels | Oct 2026 (TBC) |
| CA School Dashboard | Set to align with results release for the first time | Oct 2026 (TBC) |
Statewide results become the next major education milestone.
While families receive individual student reports, the broader picture of California student performance will emerge with the release of statewide assessment data.
The California Department of Education is expected to release 2026 California School Dashboard information and statewide CAASPP and ELPAC assessment results together, for the first time, in October 2026, under Education Code 52064.5(f)(2). CDE has not yet published the exact date; last year’s statewide results were released October 10, 2025.
The release will include:
- State-level CAASPP results
- English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) results
- California School Dashboard indicators
- State and local indicator data files
- Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) accountability information
School districts already receive assessment information before the public release. According to CDE’s timeline, assessment data become available to local education agencies through state reporting systems beginning in May, with all assessment data available by the end of August. Aggregate school, district and county results are available for local preview before the October public release.
What This Means for Parents
If your child already has a 2025-26 score report, the wording will look different from last year, "Developing" instead of "Standard Nearly Met," for example—but nothing about how that score was earned has changed. The bigger shift for anyone tracking district or statewide performance is the October statewide release: that's when the new label wording shows up in public comparisons for the first time and when this year's statewide picture becomes available. CDE has not yet confirmed the exact October 2026 date.
New label, same test.
Knowing where your child stands right now takes more than one score.
A CAASPP level tells you where your child landed on one test, once a year. Our one-on-one assessment goes further — it looks at how your child reasons through problems, not just whether they got the answer right.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the new CAASPP achievement level labels for 2025-26?
Starting with 2025-26 score reports, California renamed the four CAASPP levels: Standard Exceeded is now Advanced, Standard Met is now Proficient, Standard Nearly Met is now Developing, and Standard Not Met is now Minimal.
Did the CAASPP cut scores change for 2025-26?
No. Only the labels and their descriptions changed. The test questions, scoring method, and scale-score cutoffs between levels are identical to prior years.
When will my child's CAASPP score report arrive?
Smarter Balanced ELA/math and California Science Test results became available May 14-15, 2026 (data files and CERS on May 14, Student Score Reports on May 15). Remaining reports continue through mid-August 2026, and Alternate Assessments and the California Spanish Assessment follow in late August 2026.
When are statewide CAASPP results released publicly?
Statewide and school-level results are expected to become public in October 2026, the same day as the California School Dashboard for the first time. CDE has not yet published the exact date; last year's statewide results were released October 10, 2025.
Why did California rename the CAASPP achievement levels?
The California Department of Education says the old labels created a false impression that Level 3 was a pass/fail line, when every level actually measures grade-level standards at different depths of understanding.
Can I still compare my child's CAASPP score across years?
Yes. Because the scale-score cutoffs didn't change, a score that fell in Standard Met last year and a score that falls in Proficient this year represent the same level of performance.
Do the new labels apply to the California Alternate Assessments?
No. The California Alternate Assessments (CAAs) use their own separate three-level scale, which the 2025-26 relabeling did not touch.
Does an Advanced CAASPP score mean my child is working above grade level?
No. Advanced is the highest performance category on a grade-level test, not a signal that a child is working above their current grade.
Sources
- New Reporting Achievement Level Descriptors for Students and Families — California Department of Education (PDF, April 2026)
- EdSource—California CAASPP Smarter Balanced Test Results—independent confirmation of the October statewide release pattern (2025 results released Oct. 10)
- SSR and Reporting Resources / 2025-26 Assessment Results Release Timeline — CAASPP & ELPAC
- CAASPP & ELPAC—California's official testing system homepage
- Reporting Achievement Level Descriptors — CAASPP & ELPAC — full new-label wording by subject
- Smarter Balanced and CAST Results Release — CAASPP & ELPAC official Email Update, May 13, 2026 — confirms the May 14-15, 2026 release dates
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