After the California Board of Education declared testing flexibility, the state has determined that Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) juniors and seniors will be taking the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) and California Science Test (CAST) in the Spring of 2021. However, it was recently revealed that parents have the option to opt their student(s) out of taking these exams. 

Throughout the month of May and June, the testing period will begin for AP testing, CAST and CAASPP testing for juniors and seniors at Foothill Tech. CAST testing for juniors and seniors will take place on May 14 and CAASPP testing for juniors will take place on May 14 and May 21. Juniors and seniors received more instructions for the test on May 10 via their school email. 

If a parent wishes to not have their student take the test, they are able to opt-out. A parent must submit a form that should have been received via parentsquare by May 12 to have their student not take the test. If a parent has decided to not have their student take the test, students will be expected to attend their regular classes on May 14 and May 21. 

Stephanie Cruz, Assistant Principal at Foothill Tech, explained that the reasoning behind state testing this year is, “because of COVID students did not have an opportunity to take the CAST last spring. VUSD previously decided that students would take the CAST in eleventh grade, so those students that are now seniors are being given an opportunity to test along with this year’s eleventh grade.”

Cruz explained that, “VUSD has to give the CAASPP (grades 5-6 and 11) and CAST (grades 5, 8, 11 and 12) test even though CA had requested a waiver from the federal government.” This is due to the fact that the Ventura Unified School District (Ventura Unified)  did not qualify under a state-regulated waiver to, “administer a district assessment [instead of the CAASPP], which would give us [Foothill] more immediately actionable data,” Cruz continued.

All testing will be done remotely at the student’s home using a district-issued Chromebook and students will be excused from all of their classes if they choose to take the test. Students are encouraged to contact Darcy Duffy in the media center if they do not have a district-issued Chromebook to use on test day.