Assessment & Accountability
The Assessment and Accountability Department is a collaborative team which supports SBUSD by facilitating the sharing of information and best practices related to accountability and testing systems. We provide SBUSD with expert technical assistance that empower leadership to lead, teachers to engage, and students to succeed by coordinating and implementing testing programs, providing professional guidance in the reporting, and use of student achievement information to improve SBUSD's schools.
Santa Barbara Unified (SBUSD) recognizes the crucial role of parents and caregivers in understanding students' levels of academic achievement to facilitate their progress. Teachers assess students’ progress and mastery of grade-level standards according to a schedule set by the District. The outcomes of these assessments are used to guide classroom teaching strategies and keep parents and caregivers actively involved and updated on their child's development.
The following assessments offer teachers insights into students' understanding of subject matter and mastery of past and present grade-level standards. They also demonstrate whether students are acquiring new knowledge and subsequently growing academically:
FEDERAL:
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
STATE:
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California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) - English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Spanish, Alternative Assessments
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English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC)
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Physical Fitness Test (PFT)
DISTRICT:
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STAR Renaissance - Early Literacy, English Language Arts and Mathematics
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Mathematics - IXL
Chief Operations Officer
Steve Venz
Dubbed by Quincy Jones as “a beloved brother who is inspiring children to fulfill their dreams,” Steve Venz has been transforming public education for over 25 years. As the founding principal of Quincy Jones Elementary School, a nationally recognized Los Angeles USD jazz/arts-focused school in Historic South-Central LA. He later served as an Administrator for the Orange County Department of Education, earning the 2019 Vision & Excellence Award. During his tenure at Music Will, an education non-profit, Steve served as Chief Academic Officer/Chief Program Officer, leading nationwide initiatives, working with more than 300 school districts.
In addition, he taught as an adjunct professor in the Department of Education at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has been actively involved in various educational committees, including the Superintendent Transition Team for the California Department of Education, the Promise Neighborhood Grant Review Team for the US Department of Education, and the Superintendent Small Learning Communities Committee for the Los Angeles Unified School District. His work consistently promotes equity, cultural proficiency, and continuous improvement in education.
Since 2021, he has served as the Chief Operations Officer for the Santa Barbara Unified School District, focusing on district operations, strategic planning, and equity in student outcomes.
Director, School Performance & Student Outcomes
Anna Pilhoefer
Anna Pilhoefer has nearly 25 years of experience as an educator and leader, beginning her career as an educator for the juvenile justice system on the US/Mexico border of El Paso, Texas. Anna has held leadership roles in a diversity of settings in education, to include district, school site, and non-profit organizations. Pilhoefer received her Bachelors in Fine Arts, Masters in Arts Education, and is all-but-dissertation in pursuit of her doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Texas at El Paso. Pilhoefer is active in the local, state and national organizations, serving on the boards of the Children's Creative Project, Chair of the National Art Education Association’s Equity Diversity and Inclusion Commission, and is President of the California Arts Education Association.