CAASPP: Best Practices for Recording CSA Speaking Responses

Email Update, March 11, 2024

Dear LEA CAASPP Coordinator:

Thank you for participating in the California Spanish Assessment (CSA) field test for speaking and constructed-response items as part of the 2023–24 CSA administration.

ETS would like to remind you that it is crucial that students create audible recordings when capturing their vocal responses to the new speaking items. Ensuring the clarity of these responses is important for accurate scoring. To help your students create the clearest recordings, please review the following best practices:

• Hardware recommendations:
  • If available, we encourage students to use headphones with built-in microphones to minimize background noise during recording.
  • Alternatively, if unavailable, we encourage students to position their faces closely to their device when they are recording responses, to optimize the microphone's voice detection.
• Pretesting preparations:
  • Conduct practice sessions with students using the CSA training test. This will allow the students to familiarize themselves with the recording process and gauge the optimal speaking tone, microphone distance, and other factors for clear recording.
  • Stress the importance of speaking clearly and at a normal volume during voice recording and to avoid whispering.
• During testing:
  • Reinforce the importance of clear and audible speech throughout the testing session.
  • Encourage students to listen to their recordings during the assessment, to ensure clarity.
  • Circulate throughout the classroom and remind the class to maintain clear speaking voices and refrain from whispering during voice recording.
  • If desired, use dividers (such as empty folders propped up on the desk) to partially block students' views of one another and give students an added sense of privacy when recording.
  • Encourage students to write down their responses or talking points on paper prior to recording their voice responses. (Be sure to following the instructions in the Using and Securely Destroying Scratch Paper subtopic of the CAASPP Online Test Administration Manual for destroying the scratch paper when testing is completed.)

For further guidance and detailed instructions, refer to the CSA Preparing for Administration document.

Your diligence is greatly appreciated, as these guidelines ensure a fair and accurate assessment process for all students taking the CSA.

For further support, use the Get Answers lookup tool or contact your assigned LEA Success Agent.