California Modified Assessment (CMA)

General Information

The CMA is a new grade-level assessment for students who have an individualized education program (IEP), are receiving grade-level instruction, and, even with interventions, will not achieve grade-level proficiency within the year covered by the student's IEP. The purpose of the CMA tests is to allow students with disabilities greater access to demonstrate their achievement of the California content standards in English–language arts (ELA), mathematics, and science. Eligible students in grades four and seven also complete a writing assessment—the CMA for Writing—as a part of the CMA for ELA.

See the California Department of Education's California Modified Assessment Web page for more information about the CMA.

• Have an IEP that specifies that they take the CMA for one or more subject; and
• Scored below basic or far below basic in a previous year on the CSTs for any subject and may have taken the CSTs with modifications (these students may take one or all of the grade-level CMA tests); and
• Are not eligible to take the California Alternate Performance Assessment (CAPA).

Students shall not take the CMA if they:

• Do not have an IEP; or
• Are eligible to take the CAPA.

Additional 2009 Administration Instructions

• E-mail regarding grades seven and eight CMA/CST answer documents (Posted 2/24/09)

2009 Test Materials

Further Information

• Frequently Asked Questions document

• CMA Teleconference Slides (Posted 12/19/07)

• CMA Teleconference Recording (downloadable 13.2Mb MP3 file) (Posted 1/10/08)