ELPAC Communication: September 2025

Email Update, September 1, 2025

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

Notice

Census Day Reminder to Complete the Initial ELPAC and Initial Alternate ELPAC

For newly enrolled students to be included in the Unduplicated Pupil Count used to determine funding for the supplemental and concentration grants under the Local Control Funding Formula, students must complete the entire Initial ELPAC (all four domains) or Initial Alternate ELPAC before Census Day, which is on October 1, 2025.

2025–26 Summative Alternate ELPAC Second Scoring

Second scoring is the process of having another person score the same student’s rubric-scored items simultaneously, yet independently, from the student’s primary test examiner. Every year, some schools will be required to participate in second scoring.

An email will be sent to LEA coordinators in September 2025 to notify them of their school’s second-scoring assignment for the Summative Alternate ELPAC. LEA coordinators may also visit the Summative Alternate ELPAC Second Scoring web page now to access the lookup tool to find up-to-date second-scoring assignments.

CERS

Coordinators can now edit student groups in the California Educator Reporting System (CERS) from the user interface through a new enhancement. Navigate to Manage Student Groups and select [Edit Group] to add or remove students and assigned users.

This feature is in addition to the spring 2025 enhancement that enabled users to download an existing student group for editing purposes before uploading the group back into CERS.

ELPAC Reports

The [Initial ELPAC Reports] tab in the Test Operations Management System (TOMS) has been removed. ELPAC reports can now be found in the [LEA Reports] and [Site Reports] tabs. The following reports feature a drop-down list to select Initial ELPAC or Summative ELPAC:

• ELPAC Student Eligibility Report
• ELPAC LEA-Level Student Demographic Snapshot Report
• ELPAC School-Level Student Demographic Snapshot Report

The following reports are now located together under the [LEA Reports] and [Site Reports] tabs:

• Initial ELPAC and Initial Alternate ELPAC Student Score Data File
• Summative ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC Student Score Data File

The new ELPAC Students Meeting Reclassification Criteria 1 Report can be used to identify students who may be eligible for reclassification. This report is available in TOMS in the [LEA Reports] tab.

Test Security Audits

To ensure test security and protect the integrity of CAASPP and ELPAC, LEAs are randomly selected each test administration year to participate in online test security audits. These online audits are conducted by the California Department of Education (CDE) and ETS to support LEAs in verifying that appropriate security protocols are in place and to identify any necessary adjustments. LEAs and schools selected for the 2025–26 Tier 1 online audits will receive notification in September 2025. For more information about the test security audit process and to view sample test security audit questions, please visit the Test Security web page.

To learn more about the test security audit process and test security related to CAASPP and ELPAC testing, test administrators and test examiners are encouraged to watch the Test Security Guidelines for Test Administrators and Test Examiners (14:49) video.

Interim Assessments

Interim assessments are available to administer now for ELPAC and are organized by domain—Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.

Reminders

Video SSRs

Video Student Score Reports (SSRs) for Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for ELA and mathematics as well as the Summative ELPAC for the 2024–25 test administration will be available for purchase through the end of September. For more information or to request a quote, please visit the Video Student Score Reports web page.

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.

September 8, 12, and 15: New Coordinator Convenings

Registration is now open for the 2025 New Coordinator Fall Convenings, hosted by the CDE. These in-person events, designed for newly designated LEA CAASPP coordinators and LEA ELPAC coordinators and those with up to three years of experience, will provide practical guidance, hands-on learning, and networking with peers and experts to support effective assessment administration.

Convenings are scheduled in Fresno on September 8, Sacramento on September 12, and Los Angeles on September 15, each running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

September 9: 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.

September 15, 17, and 29: Interim and Formative Assessment Training Series, 1–4 p.m.

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. There will be 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.

September 18: 2025–26 New Coordinator Training Webinar #5, 3–4 p.m.

This webinar, which focuses on accessibility, is meant for LEA coordinators who have been in their role for less than 12 months or want a refresher. A question and answer session with experienced LEA 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.

October 7: Introduction to CERS for Test Coordinators and Administrators, 8:30–11:30 a.m.

This training will cover an overview of CERS, accessing summative assessment results and interim assessment data, and procedures for giving LEA staff the access they need to view student results. This information repeats the August 2025 training. Register now for the 2025–26 Introduction to CERS for Test Coordinators and Administrators.

October 9: Introduction to CERS for Teachers, 3:30–5:30 p.m.

This session will provide hands-on practice with CERS features, including accessing assessment results, creating student groups, and using available resources to support instruction. This information repeats the August 2025 training. Register now for the 2025–26 Introduction to CERS for Teachers.

November 12–14: 2025 California Assessment Conference

School and LEA teams are encouraged to attend the California Assessment Conference to learn how other educators use assessment tools and data to improve teaching and learning. This annual conference is a unique opportunity for all educators to explore the connections between classroom instruction and assessment.

Registration is open for the three-day event in Riverside, California.

Educator Meeting Opportunities

Do not miss out on exciting opportunities to help shape the future of California’s assessments. Educator meetings for ELPAC and the Alternate ELPAC are now available.

To apply for item review, data review, and range finding 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.

Available Now!

On-Demand Trainings and Recordings

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

• August Coffee Session
• Assessment and Accountability Information Meeting (AAIM), Day 1
• AAIM, Day 2
• Introduction to CERS for Test Coordinators and Administrators (2025–26)

Ongoing Reminders

SSR Electronic Distribution

Electronic distribution of SSRs requires that the LEA student information system (SIS) credentialing is established in TOMS, as outlined in the Establishing SIS Vendor Credentialing section of the TOMS User 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.

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 Answer Books. For those participating in the RSVP, a comparison report will be made available.

Initial Alternate ELPAC ASTs

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 Administration and Scoring Training (AST) without contacting ETS ahead of time will result in a Tier 2 security audit.

MOU Option

LEAs without students designated as To Be Determined 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.

Use the Initial Alternate ELPAC 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 Test Delivery System. Test examiners should use the TIP booklet to prepare and individualize supplemental testing materials. The TIP booklet is located in the “Resources” section at the end of both the LEA certification and test examiner certification courses in Moodle.

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.

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

The 2024–25 summative assessment results for ELPAC (Summative ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC) have been released to CERS. Educators with access to CERS can explore 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.

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

Previous ELPAC Monthly Communications

Previous ELPAC 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 elpac@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.
• Send 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