CAASPP Communication: March 2026
Email Update, March 2, 2026
This communication includes information and updates about CAASPP.
Notice
Prepare for SSRs
With summative testing underway, now is the time to prepare for Student Score Reports (SSRs). Ensure that each student’s primary language is accurate in the student’s profile in the Test Operations Management System (TOMS) prior to testing so parents/guardians receive translated SSRs as needed. Note that available languages for translated SSRs include Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Filipino, Korean, and Arabic.
If you would like to order personalized video SSRs for the students in your LEA, you can request a quote now! Learn more on the Video Student Score Reports web page.
CAASPP and ELPAC Manuals Library
The CAASPP and ELPAC Manuals Library is full of manuals and guides that help LEA coordinators, site coordinators, test administrators, and test examiners during test administration, including the following:
The California Spanish Assessment
The CSA is available for students in grades three through twelve to test their Spanish language arts/literacy skills. Please encourage your LEAs to participate in administering this valuable assessment to their students. Furthermore, for high school students who take the CSA, the California State Board of Education approved the overall achievement level 3 on the high school CSA as one way to meet, in part, the State Seal of Biliteracy (SSB) requirements. The SSB recognizes high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing one or more languages in addition to English. When local educational agencies administer the CSA and the Smarter Balanced English language arts/literacy, they have an opportunity to evaluate students’ strengths and weaknesses in reading language arts in both English and Spanish.
The CSA tests students on:
- Reading
- Writing
- Listening
- Speaking (high school only)
High School Speaking Domain
During the 2024–25 administration, almost 20 percent of high school students did not record a response to any of the speaking items on the CSA. We are encouraging local educational agency and school site staff to administer the practice or training test to familiarize students with recording responses in the test delivery system for the speaking items in a group setting prior to the administration of the operational test.
Refer to the following resources to support your students:
Test Security
Crisis Alert Response System (CARS)
As part of the process for scoring constructed-response items, responses may be identified that warrant an LEA’s immediate attention. Upon discovery that a response requires attention, the Test Operations Management System (TOMS) notifies the LEA CAASPP coordinators or LEA ELPAC coordinators and superintendent via email. Upon receipt, an LEA representative is required to acknowledge the CARS incident by logging on to TOMS, accessing the CARS page, and selecting the [Acknowledge] or [Acknowledge and Archive] button.
Directions for Administration
Test examiners for the California Alternate Assessment must use the secure Directions for Administration (DFAs). Test administrators for the general assessments must use the nonsecure Administering an Online Test Session documents (also called “scripts”). Note the following about DFAs and scripts:
- “SAY” content must be followed as written.
- Many Security and Test Administration Incident Reporting System submissions are a result of test administrators and test examiners not following instructions in the DFA s and scripts.
Visit the Administer a Test Session web page for more information on test administration resources.
Increased Security Incidents Involving Student Cell Phones/Electronic Devices and Use of Artificial Intelligence
This year, there has been an unusually high number of incidents reported in STAIRS, including students caught using cell phones or other electronic devices and Artificial Intelligence (AI) during testing. These situations may result in a breach if test content is exposed online, for example, through social media, by saving content to a server or cloud service, or inputting items or test content into an AI search chatbot.
LEA CAASPP or ELPAC coordinators should have a protocol in place for managing student electronic devices prior to testing to ensure a secure testing environment. Additionally, test administrators and test examiners should be reminded to actively monitor students during testing.
When an incident involving a summative assessment occurs, STAIRS cases must be filed within 24 hours. Coordinators should include an accurate and specific description of the STAIRS case in the notes section. The description should indicate whether any photos, videos, or screenshots were taken during testing and if they were removed from both the device and any social media platform. In addition, if test content was exposed, LEA staff should provide the item numbers that were compromised.
When an incident involving an interim assessment occurs, photos, videos, or screenshots should be permanently deleted from the device and from social media. The site administrator should then contact the LEA coordinator to report the incident, then the LEA coordinator should report the incident to their success agent. These incidents do not need to be reported through STAIRS.
For more details, refer to the Security Incidents and Appeals Procedure Guide and visit the Test Security web page.
Reminders
Test Administrator Tutorial in Moodle
The Test Administrator Tutorial is one of three training options available to prepare test administrators for summative CAASPP testing and is available on the Moodle Training Site (Moodle). Test administrators will need the Moodle enrollment key that their LEA CAASPP coordinator obtained on the Administration Scoring and Training website.
ATLAS (Science) Bank Now Available
The California Department of Education (CDE) and the Los Angeles County Office of Education are excited to announce that the Authentic Tasks for Learning and Assessment in Science (ATLAS) bank is now available! The ATLAS bank is a user-friendly, online resource offering more than 1,300 science lessons for K–12 that are aligned with the California Next Generation Science Standards. Each task is designed to support authentic science inquiry and performance assessment. California educators can access the ATLAS bank and register for an optional free account by visiting the ATLAS website.
Allowlisting
The CDE may contact you by email with important messages. Make sure that CAASPP@cde.ca.gov is included in your email application’s allowlist to ensure communications are received.
Contact Us
The Contact Us web page on the CAASPP & ELPAC website provides LEA coordinators with a list of helpful contacts, including ways to reach your success agent as well as a list of various offices at the California Department of Education (CDE) that can answer your questions on policy, accountability, CALPADS, and more!
Upcoming Trainings
To register or locate additional details about upcoming trainings, including dates, times, and content, visit the Upcoming and On-Demand Trainings web page.
March 3: CERS—Beyond the Basics, 3:30–4:45 p.m.
The last module of the California Educator Reporting System (CERS)—Beyond the Basics three-part series, Module Three—Writing Extended Response Scores and Related Resources, features how to access writing extended response (WER) scores, condition codes, and other related Smarter Balanced resources related to understanding WER scores. This module will also address common questions about WER scores in CERS. Register now for the final 2025–26 CERS—Beyond the Basics module.
March 5: Authentic Tasks for Learning and Assessment in Science (ATLAS) Bank Professional Learning Webinar, 4-5 p.m.
The Los Angeles County Office of Education, on behalf of the California Department of Education, invites you to register for the upcoming Authentic Tasks for Learning and Assessment in Science (ATLAS) webinar. The webinar will provide an overview of the ATLAS platform, the benefits of using the classroom tasks and how educators can use ATLAS to find the right task for their students. You can register for the webinar directly by following this registration link. This link to register and information about the webinar is also on our Upcoming and On-Demand Trainings web page.
March 10: Coffee Session, 2–3 p.m.
These monthly 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. If you are not already registered, register on the Coffee Session Series registration web page. By registering once, you will be eligible to attend all upcoming sessions.
Educator Involvement Opportunities
Educator Meeting Opportunities
There is still time to shape tomorrow’s assessments, today. Hurry, because the application to the next meeting—the last opportunity until the next test administration—closes in five days!
- The Combined Alternate Assessments Data Review Meeting will be held June 23–25, 2026. This application closes on March 6, 2026.
To apply for educator meetings, go to the Educator Opportunities Portal. Those without an Educator Opportunities Portal account can create an account via the Educator Opportunities Portal Account Creation Form. For any questions, please contact the Educator Opportunities Team by phone at 916-228-2682 or by email at edopportunities@scoe.net.
More information is available on the Get Involved web page.
On-Demand Trainings and Recordings
A recording of the following training is now available on the Upcoming and On-Demand Trainings web page:
Previous CAASPP Monthly Communications
Previous CAASPP monthly communications, as well as other email communications, are located on the Coordinator Emails web page.
Additional Help
- 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.
For further support, visit the Contact Us web page.
Sincerely,
California Outreach Team
CAASPP & ELPAC Website