Accessibility Resources

Students with specific learning needs may require accessibility resources to fully engage and demonstrate mastery of content during instruction and on assessments. To better serve them, the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC), including the Alternate ELPAC, provides a wide range of resources to ensure that the administration of the test meets the needs of all students, including those with disabilities. The California Assessment Accessibility Resources Matrix displays the embedded and non-embedded universal tools, designated supports, and accommodations allowed as part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) and ELPAC systems.

Teachers are encouraged to review these resources early in the school year and provide opportunities for students to experience them throughout the year in classroom instruction and assessment. Some resources are embedded into the technology platform for computer-administered tests. Others are considered non-embedded, since they are provided by the local educational agency.

The Importance of Implementing CAASPP and ELPAC Accessibility Resources: Voices from Educators (Video; 08:31) focuses on our conversations with California educators to learn more about the importance of implementing accessibility resources for assessments. This training video serves as a starting point for staff who are developing accessibility processes and deciding how to implement accessibility resources for students.

Types of Student Accessibility Resources

• Universal tools are available to all students on the basis of student preference and selection.
• Designated supports are available to all students when determined for use by an educator or team of educators (with parent/guardian and student input, as appropriate) or specified in the student's individualized education program (IEP) or Section 504 plan.
• Accommodations must be permitted to all eligible students taking CAASPP and ELPAC tests if specified in the student's IEP or Section 504 plan.
• Unlisted resources are not universal tools, designated supports, or accommodations. Unlisted resources shall be made available if specified in the eligible student's IEP or Section 504 plan and only with approval from the California Department of Education (CDE). See the Unlisted Resources web page for more information.

To preview these student accessibility resources in the test delivery system, visit the Accessibility Resource Demonstration Videos web page.

Test Administration Manuals and Administrative Tools

• CAASPP and ELPAC Accessibility Guide for Online Testing
• ELPAC Accessibility Resources for Operational Testing (Updated 10/31/19)
• ELPAC Test Navigation Assistant and Designated Interface Assistant Use Scenarios (Posted 12/05/19)
• How to Enter Domain Exemptions (January 2021)
• ELPAC Non-Embedded ASL Guidelines (Posted 02/04/20)
• Guidance on Using Eye-Gaze as a Response Method (Updated 03/09/21)
• Alternate ELPAC Accessibility and Accommodations Guidelines (Updated 02/03/23)
• Text-to-Speech for the Initial and Summative ELPAC (Posted 10/12/22)

ISAAP Tool

• Individual Student Assessment Accessibility Profile (ISAAP) Tool
• ISAAP Tool User Guide
• Using the ISAAP Tool (Video; 10:34) (Posted 11/03/22)

IEP Resources

• CDE Assessment Fact Sheets web page
• Alternate Assessment IEP Team Guidance web page
• Alternate Assessment Decision Confirmation Worksheet

Test Administration Templates

• 2023–24 Student Test Assignment Template for Batch Upload (XLSX) (Updated 08/02/23)
• 2023–24 ELPAC Online Student Test Settings Template for Batch Upload (XLSX) (Updated 08/02/23)

California Assessment Accessibility Resources Matrix and Student Assessment Accessibility Graphics

• CA Assessment Accessibility Resources Matrix , a CDE web page, with information about universal tools, designated supports, and accommodations.
• Student Accessibility Resources , a CDE web page, with information about California Student Assessment Accessibility graphics, available on the CDE include one-page graphics that show which accessibility resources are available on each assessment.

Accessibility Training

Accessibility Resource Demonstration Videos

• Accessibility Resource Demonstration Videos web page

Training Videos

• Importance of Implementing CAASPP and ELPAC Accessibility Resources: Voices from Educators (Video; 08:31) (Posted 04/16/20)
• TOMS: How to Assign Student Test Settings by Batch File Upload (Video; 03:16) (Posted 12/13/22)
• TOMS: How to Assign Student Test Settings One by One (Video; 02:40) (Posted 12/13/22)
• Requesting an Unlisted Resource in TOMS (Video; 10:11) (Posted 03/18/20)

Accessibility Resources Virtual Training Series

This asynchronous training provides guidance on the appropriate assignment of accessibility resources in the classroom and for the CAASPP and the ELPAC.

• CAASPP Accessibility Resources Virtual Training Series web page
• ELPAC Accessibility Resources Virtual Training Series web page

Configuring Testing Devices for Students with Visual Impairments

• English Language Arts/Literacy Using Jobs Access With Speech (JAWS) Demonstration (Video; 21:16)
• Configuring JAWS Demonstration (Video; 10:03)
• Configuring ZoomText Demonstration (Video; 10:02)

Translated Test Directions

• Arabic (Posted 04/15/21)
• Armenian (Posted 04/15/21)
• Chinese Traditional (Posted 04/15/21)
• English template (Posted 04/15/21)
• Farsi (Posted 04/15/21)
• Hindi (Posted 05/20/21)
• Hmong (Posted 04/15/21)
• Japanese (Posted 04/15/21)
• Khmer (Posted 05/20/21)
• Korean (Posted 04/15/21)
• Mandarin (Posted 04/15/21)
• Punjabi (Posted 05/20/21)
• Russian (Posted 04/15/21)
• Spanish (Posted 04/15/21)
• Tagalog (Posted 04/15/21)
• Telugu (Posted 05/20/21)
• Urdu (Posted 04/15/21)
• Vietnamese (Posted 04/15/21)

CAASPP and ELPAC Special Request for Paper Exams

Please visit the CAASPP and ELPAC Special Request for Paper Exams web form to request CAASPP and ELPAC braille, large-print, or paper–pencil assessments for students with an IEP or Section 504 plan.

View the Entering Student Responses and Scores into the DEI (Video; 08:17) for a demonstration on how to use the DEI for the following scenarios:

• Initial ELPAC: Enter Scores for Speaking and Writing domains for all grade levels
• Initial ELPAC: Enter Responses for Listening and Reading for all grade levels
• Summative ELPAC: Enter Scores for Speaking for grades three through twelve
• Summative ELPAC: Enter Responses for Listening, Reading, and Writing for grades three through twelve

Braille and Large-Print Instructions for the Paper–Pencil Exams

• Instructions for Using the Initial ELPAC K–12 Paper–Pencil Braille Test Form (Posted 12/22/20)
• Instructions for Using the Initial ELPAC K–12 Paper–Pencil Large-Print Test Form (Posted 12/22/20)
• Instructions for Using the Initial ELPAC K–2 Braille Writing Test Form (Posted 12/22/20)
• Instructions for Using the Initial ELPAC K–2 Large-Print Writing Test Form (Posted 12/22/20)
• Instructions for Using the Summative ELPAC K–2 Braille Writing Test Form (Posted 12/22/20)
• Instructions for Using the Summative ELPAC K–2 Large-Print Writing Test Form (Updated 10/21/22)