ELPAC email update, January 2, 2024.

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

Urgent Reminders

Complete the Required LEA Certification Now

The LEA certification deadline has passed. Any LEAs that are not yet certified must access the statewide Summative ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC Administration and Scoring Trainings (ASTs) on the Moodle Training Site (Moodle) . Trainings are required and must be completed by all LEAs for the Summative ELPAC and by all LEAs with eligible students for the Summative Alternate ELPAC as soon as possible. Moodle keys are available on the AST website . Please direct questions about Moodle-to-Moodle Support at moodlesupport@scoe.net.

DEI Assessment Selection List Change

With the launch of the ELPAC Interim Assessments, the assessment selection list in the Data Entry Interface (DEI) now presents the ELPAC Interim Assessments first and the Initial ELPAC (K–2 Writing and K–12 Speaking) at the bottom of the selection window. Users entering scores for either test into the DEI should verify they are selecting the appropriate test to enter scores. Not verifying may lead to inaccurate scores for the interim assessments and no scores produced for the Initial ELPAC.

Reminders

Summative ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC Testing Window Opens

The Summative ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC test administration window opens on February 1, 2024, and is available until May 31, 2024. To properly administer the Summative ELPAC, test examiners should be properly trained for the grade levels or grade spans they are administering and access the Directions for Administration (DFAs) corresponding to their LEA's form assignment.

Test Item Previewer

A Summative Alternate ELPAC resource aimed to help Test Examiners prepare supplemental testing materials needed by the individual student can be found on the Moodle web page.

DFAs Available in TOMS

The Summative ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC DFAs and Summative Alternate ELPAC picture cards will be available to download in the Test Operations Management System (TOMS) on January 9, 2024.

Summative ELPAC Supplemental Ordering Window

The Summative ELPAC is a computer-based assessment, with students in kindergarten through grade two taking the Writing domain using paper–pencil testing forms. LEAs can place supplemental orders in TOMS starting January 12, 2024, to receive materials organized by grade level.

Primary orders placed before December 18, 2023, will begin to arrive the week of January 8, 2024. These will be organized by individual school sites.

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 information for specific students to be pinned to the top of the page while monitoring testing. For questions or guidance, contact your assigned LEA's Success Agent .

ELPAC Interim Assessments Available to Administer

The ELPAC Interim Assessments are 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 DFAs, Training Guides and Exemplars, and Test Content and Answer Keys documents can be accessed electronically in 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 in TOMS

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 in TOMS to take the Initial Alternate ELPAC. Otherwise, students who have a primary language other than English 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 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 impairments 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.

January 9: Coffee Sessions

These virtual Coffee Sessions, hosted by the 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 January 2024 Coffee Session .

February 13: Coffee Sessions

These virtual Coffee Sessions, hosted by the 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 February 2024 Coffee Session .

February 22: New Coordinator Webinar #4

This webinar, hosted by the Sacramento County Office of Education, provides information about the Security and Test Administration Incident Reporting System process and types of security incidents, and a question-and-answer session with experienced coordinators. Register now for the February 2024 New Coordinator Webinar #4 .

February 28: 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. Register now for the February 2024 Charter School Assessment Coordinator Network Meeting.

Apply Now for 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. Among the upcoming opportunities are the Alternate ELPAC Item Review Meetings. The application window for these meetings closes on January 5, 2024. These meetings will be held in the afternoons of April 23 through 25, 2024. During these meetings, educators review items for issues related to content, bias, and sensitivity that may affect the performance of particular groups of students.

During the Summative ELPAC Data Review Meeting, which will be held in May 2024, participants will review data on the performance of field test items. The application window for this meeting closes on January 19, 2024.

California educators who are bilingual and biliterate in Spanish are invited to apply to participate in developing the CSA. Participation offers many opportunities to provide powerful input into the development and administration of the CSA. Apply now for the Writing Range Finding meetings, to be held for all grade levels as after-school meetings on select days between April 25 and June 5, 2024. The application closes on January 5, 2024.

To apply for meetings, go to the Educator Opportunities Portal . If you do not have an Educator Opportunities Portal account, 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 following live trainings were recently posted and are now available on the ELPAC Asynchronous Training Opportunities web page:

• November 2023 Coffee Session
• Interim and Formative Assessment Training Module 3D: Interim Assessment Hand Scoring—ELPAC
• Summative ELPAC AST Q&A
• Summative Alternate ELPAC AST Q&A
• Accessibility Resources Live Training Session: Module A

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.

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, parents/guardians can access the SSRs, and 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