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The California Department of Education has set Sept. 9 as the probable date for releasing the results of the new statewide Common Core-aligned tests that were administered in the spring.

The tests, called Smarter Balanced Assessments, were given to 3.2 million students in grades 3 to 8 and 11.

The new tests will be used as part of a new statewide accountability system still in the works. However, the full results, which can be broken down by state, district and school, will be released online, and parents and guardians of students will be able to see their child’s individual scores.

LA Unified officials have already seen the results for the district and have  begun preparing parents and the public for some low proficiency results. Education officials across the state have repeatedly stressed that lower scores were expected the first time around, because they were conducted online and based on the new Common Core curriculum.

The Department of Education’s website has prepared guidelines for parents on how to read and understand their child’s scores.

Cynthia Lim, Executive Director of the Office of Data and Accountabilty for LA Unified, sent a letter to the school board and Superintendent Ramon Cortines last week, warning that the “percentage of students who will have ‘met or exceeded standards’ on the new tests will be lower than the proficiency rates we have seen with the old California Standards Tests.”