ELPAC: 2024–25 Initial Alternate ELPAC AST Moodle Opens Today
Email Update, May 8, 2024
Dear LEA ELPAC Coordinator:
This is a reminder that the 2024–25 Initial Alternate ELPAC Administration and Scoring Training (AST) on the Moodle Training Site (Moodle) opens Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Certification is required for any LEA with students eligible to take the Initial Alternate ELPAC.
Statewide training is mandatory. The California Department of Education (CDE) recommends that the LEA certification be completed by August 2, 2024, to ensure test examiners are trained prior to the first day of classes and is required only for LEAs with eligible students. There are two primary options available, which are:
- complete the most recent Summative Alternate ELPAC—LEA Certification course that launched in Moodle in early November 2023 and complete the Initial Alternate ELPAC—LEA Certification course; or
- complete the most recent Summative Alternate ELPAC—LEA Certification course and then verify that one active LEA staff member has previously completed the Initial Alternate ELPAC—LEA Certification course on the AST website.
If an LEA has a new ELPAC coordinator who has not been trained, both the Summative Alternate ELPAC—LEA Certification course and the Initial Alternate ELPAC—LEA Certification course must be completed. New LEA ELPAC coordinators can fulfill their training requirements by accessing the virtual training modules within Moodle.
Alternatively, an LEA who will not train their own test examiners can enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a neighboring LEA that has agreed to train test examiners to administer the Initial Alternate ELPAC or administer test to eligible students if needed. LEAs should send an email to the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) at elpac@scoe.net to confirm the MOU with the neighboring LEA. The MOU should also confirm the neighboring LEA has completed Initial Alternate ELPAC training.
For more information about the AST requirements, refer to the Alternate ELPAC AST Requirements web document.
View the Moodle Training Site User Guide on the Moodle home page for helpful information on how to access the training and navigate the Moodle site.
For test examiners, a single Alternate ELPAC AST certification course covers both the Initial Alternate ELPAC and the Summative Alternate ELPAC. The Alternate ELPAC—Test Examiner Certification course allows test examiners to administer both assessments until October 31. The new certification course launches November 1, 2024.
Accessing Moodle Keys and Resources
The LEA ELPAC coordinator is the only person with access to the LEA Moodle keys and is responsible for distributing these keys to the appropriate staff. To obtain the Moodle enrollment keys, the LEA ELPAC coordinator must log on to the AST website using the following access code:
Alternate ELPAC access code for <DISTRICT>: <PASSCODE>
Once the LEA ELPAC coordinator has accessed the AST website, the LEA ELPAC coordinator will select the [Alternate ELPAC Moodle Training Site] button to find the Initial Alternate ELPAC Moodle enrollment keys and the Moodle User Account Template. Moodle requires users to set up individual user accounts and have enrollment keys. Users who have already established a Moodle account for other CAASPP or ELPAC trainings do not need to create a new account.
Alternate ELPAC Moodle Enrollment Keys
There are three Alternate ELPAC Moodle enrollment keys for the Alternate ELPAC, allowing any LEA staff member to log on and access the resources for the three courses:
- Summative Alternate ELPAC—LEA Certification
- Initial Alternate ELPAC—LEA Certification
- Alternate ELPAC—Test Examiner Certification
The LEA ELPAC coordinator will need to issue the appropriate enrollment keys to test examiners.
Ordering Picture Cards
Picture cards are alternate response options and are not used by all students. The Initial Alternate ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC use different picture cards. LEA ELPAC coordinators should work with special education staff to determine how many grade-level or grade-span sets are needed at each site. Note that picture cards may be used by more than one student.
Picture cards for the 2024–25 Initial Alternate ELPAC will be the same as those used for the 2022–23 and 2023–24 Initial Alternate ELPAC administrations. Picture cards can be downloaded as a PDF for LEAs to print from the Secure Materials screen, accessed through the [Resources] tab in the Test Operations Management System or preprinted picture cards may be ordered on the AST website starting May 8, 2024. Printed picture cards will be available for shipment beginning in June 2024. The LEA ELPAC coordinator is the only person with access to order preprinted picture cards.
Questions regarding training and administration of the Initial Alternate ELPAC can be emailed to the SCOE ELPAC Project Team at elpac@scoe.net. Questions regarding Moodle can be emailed to SCOE at moodlesupport@scoe.net.
Register now for the Initial Alternate ELPAC AST Overview Question and Answer Session on May 22, 2024, from 3 to 4 p.m. for LEA ELPAC coordinators and lead trainers. During this session, SCOE will answer questions related to the Initial Alternate ELPAC AST.
LEA ELPAC coordinators should direct other questions about the Initial Alternate ELPAC to the LEA's assigned LEA Success Agent. Visit the California Outreach web page for other support options.