California’s new state standards for science call for students to think and work like scientists and engineers—asking questions and learning through hands-on investigation and discovery. Working with science teachers, California is developing a new assessment, called the California Science Test (CAST), that emphasizes scientific thinking and reasoning. This year students in grade 5, 8, and 12 will participate in the trial of test items for this future assessment. While this trial will not provide scores for your child, it is an important first step in developing an assessment that will fairly and accurately measure how students are achieving on the new science standards.