This science assessment is the new California Science Test (CAST), which is based on the California Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Students in 5th, 8th, and once in high school participate in the CAST.
Since the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve (CA NGSS), the California Department of Education has been developing a new science assessment–the California Science Test (CAST)–based on the CA NGSS. The statewide California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System includes federally required science assessments in grades five and eight and once in high school (i.e., grade ten, eleven, or twelve). This science assessment is the new CAST.