ELPAC email update, November 1, 2023.

This communication includes information about the Initial, Summative, Initial Alternate, and Summative Alternate ELPAC.

Reminders

November 1: Summative ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC

The Summative ELPAC primary materials ordering window opens in the Test Operations Management System (TOMS) on November 1 and closes on December 18, 2023.

The statewide Summative Alternate ELPAC Administration and Scoring Trainings (ASTs) will be available online on the Moodle Training Site (Moodle) beginning November 1, 2023. Moodle keys will also be made available on the AST website starting on November 1, 2023. All training resources are available digitally in Moodle for secure download or local printing.

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 and Summative Alternate ELPAC Test Assignments

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 TOMS; otherwise, eligible students will be automatically assigned to the Initial ELPAC.

Newly enrolled students eligible to be assessed with an initial assessment must be assessed 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.

The assignment of the Initial Alternate ELPAC does not require students to be assigned to the Summative Alternate ELPAC. 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 and Summative Alternate ELPAC AST LEA Certification Deadline

The 2023–24 Summative ELPAC AST and Summative Alternate ELPAC AST are available in Moodle . LEAs that have not completed the training or training verification must do so prior to administration. It is important that LEA coordinators have adequate time to train their test examiners to administer the summative assessments. Statewide training is mandated by California Code of Regulations, Title 5, 11518(l). This year, superintendents will be notified two weeks after the following requested deadlines to ensure that LEA certification is completed in a timely manner:

• The Summative ELPAC LEA certification or verification should be completed by December 8, 2023.
  • Which training course an LEA needs to take is based on whether the LEA ELPAC coordinator or designee has been previously certified or is new.
• The Summative Alternate ELPAC LEA certification should be completed by December 15, 2023.
  • This is required only for LEAs with eligible students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.
  • Which training course an LEA needs to take is based on whether the LEA ELPAC coordinator or designee has been previously certified or is new.

Summative ELPAC Form Assignments

In addition to Form 1 (operational items only), Form 2 (Listening), Form 3 (Speaking), Forms 4 and 5 (Reading), Form 6 (Writing), and Form 7 (visual impairment and braille), the following new test forms will be administered for the 2023–24 Summative ELPAC administration:

• Form 8 (Speaking)
• Form 9 (Speaking)
• Form 10 (Writing)

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 administration.

Estimated testing times for each form can be found on the Summative ELPAC: Estimated Testing Times web page.

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 Form Assignments 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. Second scorers can be an employee or contractor of an LEA or nonpublic, nonsectarian school. The secondary test examiner (second scorer) must also sign the security affidavit in TOMS and have completed the Summative Alternate ELPAC—Test Examiner Certification course 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.

November 6 and 7: 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 composed 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 will be held on the following dates:

• Monday, November 6, 2023, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Registration for this session is now closed.)
• Tuesday, November 7, 2023, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

November: New ELPAC Coordinator Training

LEA ELPAC coordinators who have been in their role for less than 12 months or want a refresher on the coordinator responsibilities should register for this training on the ELPAC Upcoming Training Opportunities web page.

November 14: Coffee Session

These virtual Coffee Sessions, hosted by the California Department of Education 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 November 2023 Coffee Session .

November 15 and 29: Accessibility Resources Live Training Sessions

The Accessibility Resources Asynchronous Training helps educators match resources to their students' needs during both classroom instruction and assessment so that all students have access to the supports they need.

There will be live, hands-on training sessions, held via Zoom, to supplement the Accessibility Resources Asynchronous Training.

November 16: Summative Alternate ELPAC AST Question and Answer Session, 2:30–3:30 p.m.

The Sacramento County Office of Education will hold a question and answer session via Zoom for LEA ELPAC coordinators and lead trainers to answer test administration questions for the Summative Alternate ELPAC. Register now .

November 29: Charter School Assessment Coordinator Network Meeting

Registration is now open to all for the November 2023 Charter School Assessment Coordinator Network Meeting .

If you are wondering how other charter schools handle statewide assessment administration or simply looking to connect with other charter school assessment coordinators, this meeting is for you! Space is limited, so save your spot today.

December 7: 2023–24 Pretest Virtual Training Series

This training series will provide LEA CAASPP coordinators and LEA ELPAC coordinators with information about changes and updates about CAASPP and ELPAC testing for the 2023–24 test administration year.

This year, the Pretest Virtual Training Series will be streamlined into two sessions—"What's New for ELPAC" and "What's New for CAASPP"—to focus on providing updates and reviewing new features. As outlined in a previous communication about training consolidation, content that was present in previous Pretest trainings will be available in the 2023–24 New Coordinator Training Webinar Series .

Apply Now for Spring Educator Opportunities

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!

Asynchronous Trainings

The October 2023 Coffee Session was recently posted and is now available on the ELPAC Asynchronous Training Opportunities web page.

Web Page Updates

The ELPAC Interim Assessment Administration Resources web page is now available and will be updated with more information and resources as they become available.

Ongoing Reminders

ELPAC Administration for Transitional Kindergarten Students

For 2023–24, LEAs are required to administer the Summative ELPAC or Summative Alternate ELPAC to all eligible students enrolled in kindergarten—including students in transitional kindergarten (TK), which is defined as year one of a two-year kindergarten program. Refer to the 2023–24 Initial and Initial Alternate ELPAC Student Data File Layout located on the ELPAC Score Reporting web page for more information. LEAs will continue to follow the same process for identifying potential EL students and annually assessing EL students.

TK students' grade level will be converted to kindergarten during the nightly CALPADS feed to TOMS. These students will appear in TOMS as kindergarten and will have the TK indicator flag set to "Y" (Yes). This flag will be available within several of the TOMS reports to assist with monitoring testing progress at the local level.

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 parents/‌guardians can access only the scores for their own children.

Scoring Job Opportunities

ETS is accepting 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

ELPAC website

Contact Us: California Outreach web page