CAASPP Communication: May 2025

Email Update, May 1, 2025

This communication includes information and updates about CAASPP.

Notice

Ensure All Eligible Students Are Tested

LEA coordinators must ensure that all students eligible for CAASPP are tested.

• Section 1111(b)(2) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 requires that state assessments in English language arts/literacy (ELA), mathematics, and science be administered to all public elementary school and secondary school students in the applicable grade levels.
• In addition, Section 60640 of the California Education Code requires that CAASPP be administered to all pupils, inclusive of pupils enrolled in charter schools.
• Ensuring all eligible students are tested is important because test results provide a clear picture of how well students are mastering skills in subjects like ELA, mathematics, and science. The results can guide instruction and highlight strengths and areas for improvement. It is also a way to determine how schools are supporting learning overall and helping to improve education across the state.

Upcoming Trainings

May 13: Coffee Session, 2–3 p.m.

Want the latest updates and answers to your assessment questions? Join us for the monthly Coffee Sessions, hosted by the California Department of Education (CDE) and ETS! Register on the Coffee Session Series registration web page to attend this or any upcoming sessions.

CERS Spring Trainings

Want to know how and when to access your 2024–25 CAASPP and ELPAC summative assessment results in the California Educator Reporting System (CERS)? Register now for Accessing Summative Assessment Results in CERS. CERS gives educators early access to individual and aggregate student results.

• Module One—Summative ELPAC, Summative Alternate ELPAC, and California Spanish Assessment (CSA)
  • May 15, 2025, 3:30–5 p.m.
• Module Two—Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for ELA and mathematics; California Science Test (CAST); and the California Alternate Assessments (CAAs) for ELA, mathematics, and science
  • May 22, 2025, 3:30–5 p.m.

Want to know more about CERS? Check out the Introduction to CERS training, which is available as a series of microlearning videos on the Upcoming and On-Demand Trainings web page.

Educator Opportunities

There is still space available! Apply Now!

California educators who teach Spanish have a unique opportunity to have input on the CSA threshold score recommendations by participating in the CSA Standard Setting Workshop being held virtually July 21–24 (grades three through six) and July 28–31 (grades seven through twelve). Details can be found on the Get Involved web page. The application deadline has been extended to May 9, 2025.

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.

We need your input! California educators are an essential part of the assessment development process. New opportunities will be posted in mid-May.

Available Now!

On-Demand Trainings

Recordings of the following trainings are now available on the Upcoming and On-Demand Trainings web page:

• April Coffee Session

Ongoing Reminders

Prepare for SSR Electronic Distribution

To Do:

• Ensure connections between the local student information system (SIS) and the Test Operations Management System (TOMS) are active.
  • Collaborate with technology personnel as needed.
  • Note that this is needed to populate the correct student data in a timely manner for Student Score Reports (SSRs).
• Ensure the reports are properly displayed, parents/guardians can access the report, and parents/guardians can access only scores for their own children.
• Regenerate credentials for the SIS to securely connect to TOMS, if needed.
  • The SIS vendor credentials have a 365-day expiration rule.

Resources:

• Refer to the Distributing SSRs chapter in the Scoring and Reporting Guide for information about the LEA's SSR distribution options.
• Refer to the SSR and Reporting Resources web page for the estimated SSR release dates.

The Importance of Maintaining Test Security

To ensure the validity of all results, it is critical that all staff working with summative assessment materials are trained in test security. In addition, please confirm that all coordinators in charge of submitting Security and Test Administration Incident Reporting System (STAIRS) cases are trained accordingly. You can find more information, videos, and resources on the Test Security web page.

New Materials Tracking Lookup Tool

The Materials Tracking Lookup tool is a new way to quickly and easily look up tracking numbers for special versions of CAASPP and ELPAC paper–pencil tests as well as Smarter Balanced and CAST graphic packages.

2024–25 Smarter Balanced and CAST Scripts Available Now

Administer an Online Test Session documents—commonly referred to as scripts—have been updated for the 2024–25 test administration and are now available for the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for ELA and mathematics as well as for CAST. This year, new abridged versions with streamlined information are available. These documents can be found on the Administer a Test Session web page.

Test Administrator Tutorial Available in Moodle

The CAASPP Test Administrator Tutorial is available on the Moodle Training Site (Moodle). This tutorial covers all the basic information needed to prepare test administrators to administer Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for ELA and mathematics, CAST, and the CSA. This tutorial is optional and does not contain any secure materials.

2024–25 CAA Test Examiner Tutorial Available in Moodle

The 2024–25 CAA Test Examiner Tutorial is available in Moodle. More information can be found on the Test Administration Trainings and Tutorials 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

• Direct questions about policies, regulations, and requirements to caaspp@cde.ca.gov.
• Contact your 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. For further support, visit the Contact Us web page.

Sincerely,

California Outreach Team
CAASPP & ELPAC Website