ELPAC Communication: October 2025

Email Update, October 1, 2025

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

Notice

Practice Test and Training Test Enhancements

The following test delivery system enhancements were made to the practice tests and training tests in September 2025. Refer to the What’s New in 2025–26 section of the Accessibility Guide after its release this fall for a full list of corresponding assessments and descriptions of these resources. These enhancements will be available for the Initial ELPAC and the Summative ELPAC.

• In-test accessibility controls for the embedded text-to-speech accommodation; and the embedded color contrast and mouse pointer designated supports
• Denser embedded strikethrough universal tool
• Constructed-response toolbar (to include a text-to-speech button, when assigned)

Additionally, the logon sequence students use has been updated. Refer to one of the How to Start an ELPAC Test Session PDFs in the “Test Administrator Interface Instructions and Resources” section of the Administer a Test Session web page.

Test Security

Protecting Student PII

LEAs must establish secure procedures for handling student assessment logon credentials across all assessments. ETS recommends using the interim assessments as a model to develop and refine your site’s procedures for securely managing student personally identifiable information (PII).

Interim Assessments and Test Security Protocols

Ensure that all staff and students are aware of and adhere to the following best practices:

• Access Control
  • Only authorized persons may be present during test sessions. This includes students taking the assessment and staff members.
• Display Protocol
  • If test questions are displayed using a projector, ensure visibility is restricted to the classroom only.
• Secure Handling of Materials
  • Store test materials securely when not in use to prevent unauthorized access.
  • Keep usernames, passwords, and student logon credentials confidential. Share logon details only with the correct student.
  • Do not allow students to use another student’s logon, and do not log on as a student yourself.
• Reporting Breaches
  • If site staff becomes aware of a potential security breach (for example, improper sharing of test materials), it should be reported immediately to a site coordinator, LEA coordinator, or both. The LEA coordinator should immediately call their success agent to report the breach, and within 24 hours following the call, the site coordinator or LEA coordinator should submit a case in the Security and Test Administration Incident Reporting System (STAIRS).

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 by the state for interim assessments, this form may be used at the discretion of the LEA and may be modified as needed for local use.

Reminders

2025–26 Summative Alternate ELPAC Second Scoring

An email was 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 to find up-to-date second-scoring assignments.

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.

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, interim assessment data, and procedures for giving LEA staff the access they need to view student results. 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 custom student groups, and using available resources to support instruction. Register now for the 2025–26 Introduction to CERS for Teachers.

October 14: Coffee Session, 2–3 p.m.

The 2025–26 virtual monthly Coffee Sessions, hosted by the California Department of Education 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 Sessions registration web page. By registering once, you will be eligible to attend all upcoming sessions.

October 16: New Coordinator Training Webinar #6, 3–4 p.m.

This webinar, which focuses on practice tests, training tests, and interim assessments, 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 now for the 2025–26 New Coordinator Training Webinar Series.

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 20: Summative ELPAC AST Moodle Training Begins

In preparation for Summative ELPAC testing, the required 2025–26 Summative ELPAC Administration and Scoring Moodle training for LEA coordinators and test examiners opens on October 20, 2025.

The deadline for LEA coordinators to complete certification is December 8, 2025.

The deadline for test examiners to complete calibration is prior to testing.

October 28: CAASPP and ELPAC Accessibility Resources Webinar, 3–4 p.m.

This online webinar, focused on foundational topics about accessibility resources, will cover:

• the importance of making accessibility resources available to all students,
• where to find important information about accessibility resources, and
• how to use practice, training, or interim tests with accessibilities to prepare students for summative testing.

All educators including education teams and LEA staff involved in CAASPP and ELPAC testing would benefit from this webinar. Register now for the CAASPP and ELPAC Accessibility Resources Webinar.

November 3: Summative ELPAC AST Overview and Q&A

This question and answer session will provide updates to the Administration and Scoring Training (AST) and will answer questions about the upcoming Summative ELPAC test administration.

Register now for the Summative ELPAC AST Overview and Q&A.

January and February 2026: Formative Assessment Shared Practices Webinar Series

This upcoming series of three independent webinars is presented by the California Department of Education, classroom teachers, and administrators to share how they are promoting and using formative assessments to support teaching and learning in the classroom.

Registration is now open for the Formative Assessment Shared Practices webinar series.

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:

• September Coffee Session
• Introduction to CERS for Teachers (2025–26)
• New Coordinator Training Webinar #4
• New Coordinator Training Webinar #5

Ongoing Reminders

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 in the Test Operations Management System (TOMS) mid-November, mid-December, with the final report being posted in TOMS at the end of January 2026. Score comparison report documents are available on the Score Comparison report for RSVP web page.

Interim Assessments

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

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 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.

For further support, visit the Contact Us web page.

Sincerely,

California Outreach Team
CAASPP & ELPAC Website