California students will take the Smarter Balanced field test this spring in lieu of STAR tests. At the Santa Barbara Unified School District, 3rd-8th graders and 11th graders will take the new computerized tests sometime between April 7 and May 16. The trial assessment — aligned with the Common Core State Standards — is intended to “test the test,” and students will not receive scores, voiding schools’ Academic Performance Index scores this year.
