Colorado Student Assessment Program

Standardized test in Colorado, United States

The Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) was an assessment required by the No Child Left Behind Act administered by the Unit of Student Assessment in the Colorado Department of Education (CDE). The CSAP was designed to measure how well students are learning material from the Colorado Model Content Standards, the established content standards that all Colorado public school students should learn. The CSAP only tested four (mathematics, reading and writing, and science) of the thirteen subject areas in the Colorado Model Content Standards.

According to C. R. S. 22 7 409, schools are held accountable for the scores of all their students with three exceptions: (1) students transferring into the school after October 1, (2) students whose dominant language is not English for the first three years enrolled in Colorado public schools, (3) for any students taking the Colorado Student Assessment Program Alternate (CSAPA) instead of the CSAP. The CSAPA was a version of the CSAP test for students who met certain eligibility requirements, primarily students with disabilities. All School Improvement Plans must address the requirements in the No Child Left Behind Act Section 1116(a)(3)(A). Schools needing additional funding can apply for a Federal Title I A School Improvement Grant. The Colorado Department of Education provides a How To document for this purpose on their website.

The No Child Left Behind Act has several other Federal Programs that Colorado schools can petition for aid if they qualify. In addition to the Title I A grant these programs include: Title I C Migrant Education, Title I D help for Neglected and delinquent children, Title II B math and science partnership grants, Title II D grants for changing education through technology, Title III Language instruction for Limited English Students, Title IV Safe and Drug Free Schools, Title V A Innovative Programs, Title V B Public Charter Schools, and Title VI B Rural Education Initiative. However, most Colorado LEAs (Local Educational Associations, e. g. Schools and School Districts) submit a Consolidated Federal Programs Application yearly which covers applications for Title I A, Title II A, Title II D, Title III, Title IV, Title V, and Title VI B programs. Funds received from these programs are distributed through the CDE to LEAs, and the amounts awarded for each State and Federal grant are published on the CDE website.

In addition to the CSAP, Colorado is also subject to the same requirements as the rest of the United States in the No Child Left Behind Act. The Colorado Department of Education's plans to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) are published on their website. Results from the CSAP, CSAPA, and graduations rates are used to create AYP calculations for Colorado school districts. The Unit of Student Assessment also administers the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to Colorado public school students. If a school is receiving a Title I grant and does not meet all the requirements of their AYP for two consecutive years in the same content area the school must create a School Improvement Plan. The school district is also required to provide transportation for students from the school not meeting their AYP to a higher performing school in the same district.

The Colorado Student Assessment Program ended in year 2011 due to the expiration of its contract. The CSAP testing regiment has been replaced by the Colorado TCAP, or Transitional Colorado Assessment Program. This test had similar areas and format of examination, starting in the 2012 school year.