Last Updated on June 25, 2021
If you are a California educator, you received your SBAC scores recently. In California, the SBAC test is known as the CAASPP. We compared year-to-year growth for our middle school customers using Listenwise and found positive results!
79% of our middle school users increased their listening scores from 2017 to 2019, and the Listenwise users outperformed the average state growth across California.
We’d like to give a special shoutout to Grant Middle School in Kings Canyon Unified, Kennedy Middle School in Redwood City Elementary School District, and Eagle Peak Middle School in Ukiah Unified for increasing their listening scores!
When we dug into the listening data ofthe 2018–19 SBAC test results from the ELA subsections, we uncovered some interesting findings. As compared to reading, writing, and research, listening had the lowest percentage of students performing “above standard,” indicating that there is work to be done to help many students absorb complex ideas through listening. But listening also had the highest percentage of students “near standard” and the lowest overall percentage of students “below standard.” Clearly many students already have basic listening skills in place. Educators can use this foundation to develop more sophisticated listening skills in their students, to help them build reading, writing, speaking, and other literacy competencies.
Assigning students a weekly current event or incorporating a Listenwise lesson into each unit can help students further develop their listening skills, build their vocabulary and background knowledge, and learn about a variety of engaging topics that are relevant to their lives and to the world beyond school.
Explore more resources to support your teaching practice:
Comparing CAASPP and ELPAC Listening Assessments
Listenwise Educators: Practice with Listening Comprehension Skills
Increasing Performance on Listening Assessments
