CAASPP Communication: August 2025
Email Update, August 1, 2025
This communication includes information and updates about CAASPP.
Notice
August 5: 2025–26 Interim Assessments Available
To prepare for the 2025–26 administration of 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
- Data Entry Interface
- Teacher Hand Scoring System
- Interim Assessment Viewing System
The CAASPP and ELPAC interim assessments will become available for the 2025–26 administration at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, August 5, 2025. Secure interim assessment materials are available and can be found in the [Resources] navigation tab in the Test Operations Management System (TOMS).
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.
August 4–6: Two Remaining Hand Scoring Workshops for the 2025 IFA Series Summer Sessions, 9–11 a.m.
Space is still available in the two remaining hand scoring workshops that are part of the 2025 Interim and Formative Assessment (IFA) Training Series summer sessions. Registration is required. These workshops enable educators to dive into the hand scoring process for each of the interim assessment subject areas.
This series began on July 8, 2025, and consists of three independent webinars focused on using the interim and formative components of the CAASPP and ELPAC systems to inform teaching and learning. The series will finish with an educator panel in which California LEA staff will share best practices around the use of these resources. Recordings for only the webinars will be posted on the Upcoming and On-Demand Trainings web page.
This series will repeat in the fall, with the first webinar on September 15, 2025. Registration will open on August 6, 2025.
August 7 and 14: 2025–26 Assessment and Accountability Information Meeting (AAIM)
Register now on the 2025–26 Assessment & Accountability Information Meeting web page. Hosted by the California Department of Education (CDE), these two virtual meeting sessions will provide LEA coordinators, site administrators, and LEA staff with the most recent information and developments on California’s assessment and accountability systems. You are invited to submit your Assessment and Accountability Information Meeting (AAIM)–related questions in advance by completing the 2025 AAIM Q&A Form.
These sessions will be held on two consecutive afternoons in August. The dates, times, and topics are as follows:
- August 7, 2025, 2–4:30 p.m.—Assessment Updates
- August 14, 2025, 2–4 p.m.—California School Dashboard and Accountability Updates
If you are unable to attend but would like to receive materials or a notice when the recording is posted, complete the 2025 AAIM Materials and Recordings form.
August 12: Coffee Session, 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.
August 12 and 19: Site Administrator Assessment Convenings
There is still time for site administrators to register for the August 2025 Site Administrator Assessment Convenings, presented by the CDE. The August convenings—which will be held virtually—focus on the 2025–26 CAASPP and ELPAC interim assessments as well as upcoming professional learning opportunities for site administrators and teachers. In addition, there will be time to ask questions and network with other site administrators. LEA coordinators are asked to please share this information with site coordinators and direct them to the August Site Administrator Assessment Convenings registration web page.
The convenings will take place on the following dates:
- August 12, 2025, 9–10 a.m.
- August 19, 2025, noon–1 p.m.
The same content will be shared during each of the two available sessions, so registrants need to select only one date.
August 20 and October 7: 2025–26 Introduction to CERS for Test Coordinators and Administrators, 8:30–11:30 a.m.
This three-hour training will cover an overview of the California Educator Reporting System (CERS), how to access summative assessment results and interim assessment data, and procedures for giving LEA staff the access they need to view student results. This training is designed for test coordinators and administrators who manage staff access to CERS.
The same session will be offered on August 20, 2025, and October 7, 2025. Register now on the 2025–26 Introduction to CERS for Test Coordinators and Administrators training registration web page.
August 27 and October 9: 2025–26 Introduction to CERS for Teachers, 3:30–5:30 p.m.
This training will provide hands-on practice for teachers with CERS features, including accessing summative assessment results and interim assessment data, creating custom student groups, and using available resources to support instruction. This training will benefit any LEA staff member who accesses student assessment results in CERS.
The same session will be offered on August 27, 2025, and October 9, 2025. Registration is open on the 2025–26 Introduction to CERS for Teachers registration web page.
August 27: August 2025 Charter School Assessment Coordinator Quarterly Network Meeting, 9:30–11 a.m.
The virtual Charter School Assessment Coordinator Network meeting will offer targeted support to charter school coordinators and administrators through the sharing of assessment updates, best practices, and support networks. The quarterly meeting will focus on the following:
- Preparation for CAASPP and ELPAC administration
- Dashboard release
- Other assessment considerations
- A networking opportunity with coordinators from across the state
Register now for the Charter Schools Network Meeting registration web page.
August 28: 2025–26 New Coordinator Training Webinar #4, 3–4 p.m.
This webinar, for LEA coordinators who have been in their role for less than 12 months or want a refresher, focuses on assessment systems and TOMS. A question and answer session with experienced coordinators will close the session. Register on the 2025–26 New Coordinator Training Webinar Series registration web page.
If you cannot make it but wish to receive materials or be notified when the recording is available, please fill out the 2025–26 New Coordinator Training Materials and Recordings Form.
Educator Meeting Opportunities
Do not miss out on exciting opportunities to help shape the future of California’s assessments. Apply now for the California Science Test (CAST) Item Review Meeting (grade five and high school), which will be held January 20, 21, and 27, 2026. The application closes September 24, 2025.
Other educator meetings are available for the California Alternate Assessments (CAAs) and the California Spanish Assessment (CSA).
To apply, 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.
Available Now!
On-Demand Trainings
Recordings of the following trainings are now available on the Upcoming and On-Demand Trainings web page:
Ongoing Reminders
TOMS User Rollover
The rollover of TOMS user roles for the 2025–26 school year happened on July 7, 2025, for both CAASPP and ELPAC. The 2025–26 TOMS roles have been made available, and all roles from 2024–25 have been deactivated.
CAA for Science Resources
The following resources were released in early July for the 2025–26 CAA for Science:
- The 2025–26 CAA for Science form assignments are available on the CAA for Science Form Assignments web page.
- The 2025–26 CAA for Science Preparing for Administration document is available on the Administer a Test Session web page.
- The CAA for Science Administration Planning Guides are available on the CAA for Science Administration Planning Guides web page.
- The 2025–26 LEA CAASPP Coordinator Checklist has been updated and is available for the current test administration.
LEAs should access the Administration Planning Guides early to ensure the careful and timely planning of the three embedded performance tasks over the course of the school year. The CAA for Science testing window opens on September 16, 2025.
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.
STAIRS/Appeals Guide
The Security Incidents and Appeals Procedure Guide has been updated for 2025–26. This guide describes testing incident types and definitions and provides the steps for submitting a Security and Test Administration Incident Reporting System (STAIRS) case.
Smarter Balanced and CAST—Results Available
The Smarter Balanced and CAST Student Score Reports (SSRs) are available in TOMS for students who have completed testing.
The ongoing release of updated data files and SSRs will occur every weekday. Per Title 5, Section 863 of the California Code of Regulations, if scores are received after the last day of the school year, the reports must be distributed no later than the first 20 working days of the next school year.
New data is available in CERS! With a recent enhancement to CERS, prior-year statewide aggregate data is now available.
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 CAST) and ELPAC (Summative ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC) have started flowing into CERS in May 2025. 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 CAAs for ELA, mathematics, and science and the 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.
Additional Help
Previous CAASPP monthly communications, as well as other email communications, are located on the Coordinator Emails web page.
- Direct questions about policies, regulations, and requirements to caaspp@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 the Moodle Training Site (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.
For further support, visit the Contact Us web page.
Sincerely,
California Outreach Team
CAASPP & ELPAC Website