ELPAC: October Monthly Update
ELPAC email update, September 29, 2023.
This communication includes information about the Initial, Summative, Initial Alternate, and Summative Alternate ELPAC.
Reminders
October 4: CBEDS Reminder
For newly enrolled students to be included in the 2023–24 Unduplicated Pupil Count used to determine funding for the supplemental and concentration grants under the Local Control Funding Formula, students must complete the entire Initial ELPAC (all four domains) or the Initial Alternate ELPAC on or before Census Day, which is October 4, 2023. For more information regarding Census Day, visit the California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS) 
website.
October 16, 2023: Summative ELPAC AST Opens
The 2023–24 Summative ELPAC AST opens in Moodle . LEAs should have received an email with information and instructions in mid-September. Questions regarding Moodle can be emailed to the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) Moodle Support at moodlesupport@scoe.net.
October: ELPAC Interim Assessments Available to Administer
The ELPAC Interim Assessments will be available to administer, score, and generate results. More information on these new interim assessments is available on the ELPAC Interim Assessment Administration Resources web page.
The ELPAC Interim Assessments Directions for Administration (DFAs), Training Guides and Exemplars,and Test Content and Answer Keys documents can be accessed electronically under the [Resources] tab in TOMS or can be printed and securely stored just prior to testing.
Initial Alternate ELPAC Test Assignment
Every eligible student who is identified to take alternate assessments by an individualized education program (IEP) team and has a primary language other than English must be assigned to take the Initial Alternate ELPAC in the Test Operations Management System (TOMS); otherwise, eligible students will be automatically assigned to the Initial ELPAC.
Newly enrolled students must be assessed with an initial assessment within the first 30 calendar days; however, students may not have an IEP designating the student to take an alternate assessment prepared in time. In these instances, the student should be assessed with the Initial ELPAC using universal tools and designated supports as appropriate.
If the IEP team determines later that the student is eligible to take alternate assessments and the student has been identified as an English learner (EL), the student can be assigned the Summative Alternate ELPAC.
Summative ELPAC Form Assignments
Additional test forms will be administered for the 2023–24 Summative ELPAC administration. Aside from the previous six test forms and the Form 7 braille form, Form 8 (Speaking), Form 9 (Speaking), and Form 10 (Writing) have been added.
Refer to the ELPAC Form Assignments for the 2023–24 Summative ELPAC Administration web page to confirm the LEA's form assignment for the 2023–24 Summative ELPAC test administration.
Summative Alternate ELPAC Form and Second Scoring Assignments
Form assignments and second scoring assignments for the 2023–24 Summative Alternate ELPAC administration are available on the Forms Assignment for the 2023–24 Summative Alternate ELPAC Test Administration web page and the Second Scoring Assignments for the 2023–24 Summative Alternate ELPAC Test Administration web page. A subsection of schools assigned Form 2 will be required to second score.
Upcoming Dates
November 1: Summative ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC
The Summative ELPAC primary materials ordering window opens in TOMS on November 1 and closes on December 18, 2023.
The statewide Summative Alternate ELPAC ASTs and Moodle keys, will be available online in Moodle beginning November 1, 2023. Starting with the 2022–23 test administration year, resources are available digitally in Moodle.
Upcoming Trainings
To register or locate additional details about upcoming trainings, including dates, times, or content, visit the ELPAC Upcoming Training Opportunities web page.
September–November 2023: Interim and Formative Assessment Training Series
Register now for fall sessions of the Interim and Formative Assessment (IFA) Training Series on the IFA Training Series Registration web page. This training series provides direct, online training focused on the interim and formative components of the CAASPP and ELPAC system of assessments. It is comprised of three distinct, independent modules with multiple opportunities to attend. In November, there will be new hand scoring trainings for the California Science Test (CAST) and ELPAC Interim Assessments.
- Module 3: Interim Assessment Hand Scoring—ELPAC
- When: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on one of the following dates:
- Monday, November 6, 2023
- Tuesday, November 7, 2023
October 9 and 10, 2023: California Assessment Conference
The 2023 California Assessment Conference (CAC) will offer Shared Practices sessions featuring teachers, teams, and school sites from across the state that have developed best practices for implementing assessment resources in support of teaching and learning.
This year's CAC is on October 9 and 10, 2023, at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento. You can register for the conference at the CAC website . Email any questions to caaspp@scoe.net.
October 10: Coffee Sessions
These virtual Coffee Sessions, hosted by the California Department of Education (CDE) and ETS, offer opportunities for LEA staff to ask questions and get answers about assessments, trainings, resources, and more. Coffee Sessions are entirely dedicated to answering questions about assessments and topics of interest from testing coordinators and providing timely updates. Register now for the October 2023 Coffee Session .
October 19: New Coordinator Webinar #3
The New Coordinator Training Webinar #3 will provide a review of upcoming coordinator checklist tasks, dive into resources for student practice, and include a question-and-answer session with experienced coordinators.
October 24: Summative ELPAC AST Question and Answer Session, 2:30–3:30 p.m.
SCOE will hold a question and answer session via Zoom for LEA ELPAC coordinators and lead trainers to answer test administration questions for the Summative ELPAC. Register now .
November 16: Summative Alternate ELPAC AST Question and Answer Session, 2:30–3:30 p.m.
SCOE will hold a question and answer session via Zoom for LEA ELPAC coordinators and lead trainers to answer test administration questions for the Summative ELPAC. Register now .
Apply Now for Winter and Spring Educator Opportunities Meetings
These meetings are for educators who want to be involved in the development and review of test questions for California assessment programs. Some upcoming opportunities include the Item Review Meetings, during which educators review items for issues related to content, bias, and sensitivity that may affect the performance of particular groups of students. The Item Review Meeting for the Alternate ELPAC will be held in the afternoons in April.
There are also opportunities for California educators who are bilingual and biliterate in Spanish to participate in the development of the California Spanish Assessment (CSA). Participation in development offers many opportunities to have powerful input into the development and administration of the CSA. Upcoming virtual meetings include the Item Review Meeting and Writing Range Finding.
To apply for meetings, go to the Educator Opportunities Portal . If you do not have an Educator Opportunities Portal account, you will need to create an account via the Educator Opportunities Portal Account Creation Form in the Educator Opportunities Database. If you have any questions, please contact the Educator Opportunities Team by phone at 916-228-2682 or by email at edopportunities@scoe.net.
Available Now!
Manuals, Instructions, and Quick Reference Guides
- New PDFs:
- New Checklists (added to the following web pages)
Asynchronous Trainings
The following live trainings were recently posted and are now available on the ELPAC Asynchronous Training Opportunities web page:
- CAASPP and ELPAC Reporting Results Webinar
- August 2023 Coffee Session
Web Page Updates
- The ELPAC Interim Assessments Administration Resources web page is now available and will be updated with more information and resources as they become available.
Ongoing Reminders
Changes to the Test Administrator Interface
The Test Administrator Interface has been updated to a cleaner, more user-friendly appearance. This includes a new functionality that will allow specific students to be pinned to the top of the page while monitoring testing. For questions or guidance, contact your Success Agent .
2023–24 Test Administration: Teacher Hand Scoring System Update
The Teacher Hand Scoring System (THSS) has been enhanced with new navigation and communication features. New enhancements and features include the following:
- The dashboard now displays all assessments that require hand scoring along with the number of students and items that require scoring.
- Scorers can comment on student responses or assessments before assigning the assessment to another scorer.
- User interface design changes were made to the scoring and related materials page to enhance the overall user experience.
For Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments for English language arts/literacy and mathematics and the CAST Interim Assessments, detailed information on the THSS can be found in the Interim Assessment User Guide .
For the Initial ELPAC, detailed information on the THSS can be found in the Using the DFA topic of the Initial ELPAC Online Test Administration Manual , as well as in the THSS video in the Initial ELPAC Test Examiner Training and Calibration course in Moodle .
SSR Electronic Distribution
Ensure Student Score Reports (SSRs) are populated in the student information system for the correct students in a timely manner, as outlined in the Options for Distributing SSRs topic of the ELPAC Scoring and Reporting Guide . Ensure that the SSRs are properly displayed, that parents/guardians can access the SSRs, and that they can access only the scores for their own children.
Scoring Job Opportunities
ETS accepts applications for scorers. This is an excellent opportunity for educators to become more familiar with the new generation of California assessments. Scoring schedules are flexible and can include four-, six-, and eight-hour weekday or weekend shifts. California educators interested in applying can view more information on the Online Scoring web page. Questions about the application or hiring process should be directed to etsrater@ets.org . Current scorers can reach out to ratercertify@ets.org for any scoring-related questions.
Previous ELPAC Monthly Communications
Previous ELPAC monthly communications, as well as other email communications, can be found on the ELPAC Coordinator Emails web page.
Additional Help
- Direct questions about policies, regulations, and requirements to elpac@cde.ca.gov.
- Contact your region's Success Agent for answers to questions about assessment coordination, development, and administration, as well as for technical support.
- Direct questions about Moodle , certification, and calibration to moodlesupport@scoe.net.
- Get Answers from a user-friendly lookup tool available to help LEA coordinators quickly find answers to the most common testing questions. Users can also suggest Additional Questions for the FAQ , which will be reviewed on a regular basis.
- Chat with Anita, your virtual assistant for LEA help, which is available on the CAASPP and ELPAC home pages. Unanswered questions will be routed to your LEA Success Agent.
Sincerely,
California Outreach Team
Contact Us: California Outreach web page