ELPAC Communication: July 2025

Email Update, July 1, 2024

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

Notice

July 7: Initial ELPAC and Initial Alternate ELPAC Test Administration Window Opens

The 2025–26 Initial ELPAC and Initial Alternate ELPAC administration will begin July 7, 2025, and continue until June 30, 2026. Pursuant to California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 11518.5(e), Initial ELPAC and Initial Alternate ELPAC testing and parent/guardian notification of results must be done within 30 calendar days after students are first enrolled in a California public school or 60 calendar days prior to instruction, but not before July 1.

Note: As part of the scheduled system downtime from June 30 to July 7, 2025, ETS will be updating the scoring and reporting infrastructure. To ensure thorough quality control, Student Score Reports (SSRs) for the 2025–26 Initial ELPAC and Initial Alternate ELPAC that were administered between July 7 and July 21, 2025, will be held until July 22, 2025. After July 22, SSRs will be released within 48 hours of students’ completing and submitting all domains.

LEAs may schedule testing according to local preference within this window and do not need to inform the California Department of Education (CDE) or ETS. All testing must take place within this window. Please note to allow at least 48 hours for student information to be updated in the Test Operations Management System (TOMS) after enrollment records have been submitted and processed by CALPADS. The CDE recommends that LEAs schedule testing at least 72 hours after CALPADS submissions have been made.

LEAs that need additional test materials or those that did not place an Initial ELPAC Primary Test Material Order can place a supplemental order through June 5, 2026.

July 7: TOMS User Rollover

The rollover of TOMS user roles for the 2025–26 school year will happen on July 7, 2025, for both CAASPP and ELPAC. The 2025–26 TOMS roles will be made available, and all roles from 2024–25 will be deactivated.

July 31: Last Day for 2024–25 Interim Assessments

The 2024–25 CAASPP and ELPAC interim assessments will remain available until July 31, 2025, at 5 p.m. Student responses for the interim assessments will be cleared from the Teacher Hand Scoring System (THSS) after 5 p.m. and will no longer be available for hand scoring.

To ensure that student results from all completed 2024–25 interim assessments appear in the California Educator Reporting System (CERS), all outstanding hand scoring must be completed in the THSS before 5 p.m. on July 31. If the LEA intends for some interim assessment administrations not to have scores sent to CERS, no action is needed, and the responses will be cleared as scheduled.

To prepare for 2025–26 interim assessments, CAASPP and ELPAC systems will be updated from Thursday, July 31, 2025, at 5 p.m. to Tuesday, August 5, 2025, at 8 a.m. During this time, all CAASPP and ELPAC interim assessments will be unavailable for administration, local scoring, and viewing in the following systems:

• Test Delivery System (TDS)
• Data Entry Interface
• THSS
• Interim Assessment Viewing System

The interim assessments will become available for the 2025–26 school year at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.

Initial ELPAC 2025–26: RSVP

LEAs participating in the Rotating Score Validation Process (RSVP) can access the RSVP for the Initial ELPAC web page to find their assignment, administration details, and mandatory steps for returning kindergarten through grade two (K–2) Answer Books. For those participating in the RSVP, a comparison report will be made available.

Summative ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC—Results Available

The Summative ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC K–12 Student Score Reports (SSRs) are available in TOMS for students who have completed testing. The ongoing release of updated data files and K–12 SSRs will occur every weekday.

SSR Electronic Distribution

Ensure SSRs are populated in your student information system for the correct students in a timely manner, as outlined in the Distributing SSRs chapter of the Scoring and Reporting Guide. In addition, ensure that SSRs are properly displayed in such a manner that parents/guardians are able to access only scores for their own children.

Refer to the SSR and Reporting Resources web page for the estimated SSR release dates.

Reminders

Initial ELPAC and Initial Alternate ELPAC Testing

Newly enrolled students eligible to be tested with an initial assessment must be tested within the first 30 calendar days of student enrollment; however, students might not have an individualized education program designating the student to take an alternate assessment prepared in time. In these instances, the student should be tested with the Initial ELPAC using universal tools and designated supports, as appropriate.

Initial ELPAC and Initial Alternate ELPAC ASTs

The 2025–26 Initial ELPAC and Initial Alternate ELPAC Administration and Scoring Trainings (ASTs) are available in Moodle.

The LEA coordinator, or their designee, must complete the annual statewide LEA certification for the Initial ELPAC by August 8, 2025.

Starting with the 2025–26 test administration, the LEA certification for the Initial Alternate ELPAC is required within two weeks of a student’s being assigned to the assessment. When the first student is assigned, LEAs will be sent a notification along with an LEA-specific deadline.

Failure to complete the Initial Alternate ELPAC AST without contacting ETS ahead of time will result in a Tier 2 security audit.

LEAs without students designated as To Be Determined (TBD) or with limited eligible students may enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a neighboring LEA. MOUs must be updated and sent to elpac@scoe.net annually. Visit the Administration and Scoring Training Information section of the Test Administration Trainings and Tutorials web page for more information on MOUs. Extensions can be given if you contact ETS prior to the due date. To request an extension, send an email to CATestSecurity@ets.org.

Reminder to Use the TIP Booklet in Moodle

The secure Test Item Preview (TIP) booklet for the Initial Alternate ELPAC contains all the student-facing, on-screen test content. It is available on the Moodle Training Site (Moodle) prior to the launch of the assessment without having to log on to the TDS. Test examiners should use the TIP to prepare and individualize supplemental testing materials. The TIP is located in the resources section at the bottom of both the LEA certification and test examiner certification courses in Moodle.

Reclassification Reminder

Students who scored at Summative ELPAC Overall Performance Level (PL) 4 and students who scored at Summative Alternate ELPAC Overall PL 3 for the 2024–25 ELPAC administration should continue to be evaluated for reclassification before the end of the 2025–26 test administration window. The CDE recommends that these students should meet all four reclassification criteria before May 15, 2026; otherwise, they should be administered the 2025–26 Summative ELPAC or Summative Alternate ELPAC.

For students who become eligible for reclassification based on the 2024–25 summative results, this is a reminder that updates to the CALPADS English language acquisition record should align with the students’ active enrollment. A CALPADS Flash has been released, providing guidance on reclassification procedures during the summer.

Visit the CDE Reclassification web page for more information. Email questions related to reclassification to LPLO@cde.ca.gov.

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.

July 8–August 6: Interim and Formative Assessment Training Series

The CDE invites you to attend the 2025 Interim and Formative Assessment Training Series. Registration is now available! The 2025 Interim and Formative Assessment Training Series will consist of three independent webinars focused on using the interim and formative components of the CAASPP and ELPAC assessment systems to inform teaching and learning. Five workshops where educators will dive into the hand scoring process for each of the interim assessment subject areas, and an educator panel in which California LEA staff will share best practices around use of these resources will follow to complete the series.

July 8: Coffee Sessions, 2–3 p.m.

The 2025–26 virtual monthly 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. LEA coordinators are recommended to register annually on the Coffee Session Series registration web page. By registering once, you will be eligible to attend all upcoming sessions.

July 17: New Coordinator Training Webinar #3, 3–4 p.m.

This webinar is the third of the New Coordinator Training Webinar Series. This webinar will provide information about which assessment results will be received from 2024–25, next steps for LEAs receiving results, and the opt-out process. This webinar will also end with a question and answer session with experienced coordinators. Register for one or more sessions in this series on the 2025–26 New Coordinator Training Webinar Series registration web page.

Educator Meeting Opportunities

The 2025–26 assessment development meetings have been posted!

Do not miss out on these exciting opportunities to help shape the future of California’s assessments.

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.

Registration Open for August Site Administrator Assessment Convenings

Please let site administrators know that registration is now open for next month’s Site Administrator Assessment Convenings. These sessions offer an opportunity to learn about assessment resources offered by the CDE, ask questions, and exchange ideas with other site administrators throughout the state.

Site administrators or their designees are encouraged to attend. The convenings will take place on the following dates:

• Tuesday, August 12, 2025, 9–10 a.m.
• Tuesday, August 19, 2025, noon–1 p.m.

The same content will be shared on both dates, so registrants need to select only one date. Site administrators can register here for one of the convenings.

Available Now!

On-Demand Training

A recording of the June Coffee Session is now available on the Upcoming and On-Demand Trainings web page.

Security Forms

A new sample Interim Assessment Test Security Agreement was recently added to the Test Security web page. Although a test security agreement is not required for interim assessments, this form can be used at the discretion of the LEA and can be modified as needed for local use.

Ongoing Reminders

Secure Destruction of 2024–25 ELPAC and Alternate ELPAC Test Materials

LEAs have the option to either securely destroy test materials locally or return materials to ETS for destruction. LEAs must inform ETS of the method of destruction or of the return of the test materials by completing the 2024–25 ELPAC and Alternate ELPAC Materials Return or Destruction Certification form no later than Monday, July 14, 2025. If returning the materials to ETS for destruction, please follow the steps in the ELPAC and Alternate ELPAC Secure Destruction and Return Instructions web document.

Materials for destruction should be returned in nonwhite cartons. Completed Summative ELPAC K–2 Writing materials needing to be scored must be returned in white return cartons. LEAs may use any nonwhite carton to return materials for destruction. If additional white cartons are needed, contact the LEA’s assigned LEA Success Agent.

Coordinator How-To Hub Resources for Accessing Summative Assessment Results in CERS

The 2024–25 summative assessment results for CAASPP (Smarter Balanced for English Language Arts/Literacy [ELA], Smarter Balanced for Mathematics, and California Science Test) and ELPAC (Summative ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC) have started flowing into the California Educator Reporting System (CERS). Educators with access to CERS can begin exploring the data now.

To support LEA coordinators in accessing these results in CERS, the Coordinator How-To Hub includes a section under the Late Spring time frame called Access Summative Assessment Results in CERS. This section provides helpful resources, including quick reference guides and demonstration videos that can be shared with teachers to guide them on how they can access student results in CERS.

As a reminder, CERS provides access to individual summative assessment student results and partial aggregated summative assessment results at the group, school, and LEA levels. Prior to the public release of all summative assessment student results in the fall, aggregated results in CERS are partial and may not reflect final LEA outcomes. These partial results are not appropriate for public release but can be used for the purposes of local planning.

The analysis and scoring processes for the California Alternate Assessments (CAAs) for ELA, mathematics, and science and the California Spanish Assessment (CSA) are still underway. Results for the CAAs will be available in CERS in early fall 2025, and results for the CSA are expected to be available in early 2026.

Visit the Coordinator How-To Hub to explore these resources.

2024–25 Summative ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC Student Data File Layout Available

LEAs can now download the 2024–25 Summative ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC Student Data File Layout from the SSR and Reporting Resources web page or from the [Reports] action tab in TOMS.

The student data file layout includes field descriptions, acceptable values for fields, and data sources. Follow the steps outlined in the Summative ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC Student Score Data File subsection in the TOMS User Guide.

Additional Help

Previous ELPAC monthly communications, as well as other email communications, can be found on the Coordinator Emails web page.

• Send direct questions about policies, regulations, and requirements to elpac@cde.ca.gov.
• Contact your region’s assigned Success Agent for answers to questions about assessment coordination, development, and administration, as well as for technical support.
• Send direct questions about Moodle, certification, and calibration to moodlesupport@scoe.net.
• Get Answers using this lookup tool available to help LEA coordinators quickly find answers to the most common testing questions. Users can also make suggestions for Additional Questions for the FAQs, which are reviewed on a regular basis.

For further support, visit the Contact Us web page.

Sincerely,

California Outreach Team
CAASPP & ELPAC Website