SBAC is Back

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) test covers both English and math. Each subject is graded on a scale from 2,000 to 3,000 points. 

 

Scores fall into four categories: “standard exceeded” (2,582+ points), “standard met” (2,502-2,581 points), “standard nearly met” (2,442-2,501 points), and “standard not met” (2,000-2,441 points).

 

“The test was really brief. I remember they would just call us in the classroom, and then call us out of the classroom,” Senior Joseph Lucatero Rubio said.

 

California State University’s (CSU) freshman-year English and math class placement is based on several criteria, including student SBAC test scores. Students scoring standard “nearly met” or “standard not met” in English must take a helper class alongside a regular class. 

 

For math, students must achieve a “standard exceeded” or “standard met” and pass a math course beyond IM3. Those scoring “standard nearly met” and who have taken four years of math may still enroll in a regular math class without a helper class in college. Students will have more room in their schedules without a helper class, potentially accelerating graduation.

 

“I never thought I would be the person that promotes these high-stakes tests, but it does help in the long run if you perform to the best of your ability,” Michelle Leversee said.

 

The test may also assist in obtaining the Seal of Biliteracy. To qualify, students need either a “standard met” or higher on the English SBAC or a 3.0 GPA in English. 

 

“I think it is important to not have these tests determine your future, and that’s not what this is. It’s not like if you don’t pass, you don’t have any options.” Leversee said

 

The main purpose of the test isn’t solely to determine eligibility for these programs. Cedric Nguyen, Del Mar’s assistant principal, said its goal is “…To show the state how students are performing at their high school. It’s meant to show how much they learned in the last three years.”

 

If students don’t achieve their desired score, it may not affect them long-term. Colleges sometimes offer placement tests for students not initially placed in their preferred math or English classes. Other factors, like GPA, SAT, and ACT scores, also contribute to class placement at a CSU.

 

“Sometimes students feel the test does not matter for them and they plan not to go to college right away, and so a lot of times we see students and they don’t perform on the test to what we know they are capable of. But you never know what will happen- you may want to go to college in a couple of years. It can kind of guarantee that you are on track once you do get into college,” said Leversee.