ELPAC Communication: December 2024

Email Update, December 2, 2024

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

Notice

Registration Open for Spring CERS Trainings

Registration is now open for spring California Educator Reporting System (CERS) trainings, which are designed as a follow-up to the Introduction to CERS. It is recommended that participants have a basic understanding of CERS before attending the spring trainings. Introduction to CERS microlearning videos are available on the Upcoming and On-Demand Trainings web page for educators looking to build a foundational knowledge of CERS prior to attending.

The available spring CERS trainings are as follows:

• 2024–25 CERS—Beyond the Basics for Teachers
  • March 11, 2025, from 3:30–5 p.m.
  • March 18, 2025, from 3:30–5 p.m.
• 2024–25 CERS—Beyond the Basics for Coordinators and Administrators
  • March 13, 2025, from 1–3 p.m.
  • March 19, 2025, from 1–3 p.m.
• 2024–25 Accessing Summative Assessment Results in CERS
  • Module One—Summative English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC), Summative Alternate ELPAC, and California Spanish Assessment (CSA)
    • May 15, 2025, 3:30–5 p.m.
  • Module Two—Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for English Language Arts/literacy (ELA), mathematics, California Science Test (CAST), and the California Alternate Assessments (CAA) for ELA and mathematics, and science
    • May 22, 2025, 3:30–5 p.m.

December 6: Summative ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC Scoring Training Deadline

Summative ELPAC

The statewide Summative ELPAC Administration and Scoring Trainings (ASTs) are available on the Moodle Training Site (Moodle). Access codes to the AST website were emailed to all LEA ELPAC coordinators on October 14, 2024. Moodle keys are available on the AST website. All training resources are available digitally in Moodle for secure download or local printing. If the LEA certification is not completed by the December 6, 2024, deadline, or if the LEA has not provided evidence of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the LEA may be subject to a Tier 2 audit.

Summative Alternate ELPAC

The statewide Summative Alternate ELPAC ASTs are available in Moodle. Access codes to the AST website should have been received by all LEA ELPAC coordinators November 1, 2024. Moodle keys are available on the AST website. All training resources are available digitally in Moodle for secure download or local printing. If the LEA certification is not completed by the December 6, 2024, deadline, or if the LEA has not provided evidence of an MOU, the LEA may be subject to a Tier 2 audit.

Printed picture card orders opened on November 1, 2024, on the AST website. Shipments will begin in mid-December. Downloadable versions will be available in the Test Operations Management System (TOMS) in January.

The secure Test Item Previews (TIPs) are aimed to help test examiners prepare and individualize supplemental testing materials needed by an individual student. The TIPs are located in the "Summative Alternate ELPAC Administration Resources" section at the bottom of both the LEA certification and the test examiner certification courses in Moodle.

December 20: Summative ELPAC Primary Material Order Window Closes

The Summative ELPAC primary materials ordering window is available in TOMS and closes on December 20, 2024. LEAs ordering Writing domain materials for kindergarten through grade two have until December 20 to place primary material orders in TOMS. For instructions on how to place a Writing domain test materials order, view the Place Supplemental Orders: Overview section of the TOMS User Guide. Orders will begin to arrive the week of January 13, 2025.

Primary test material orders are packaged by school site, whereas supplemental orders are packaged by quantity ordered at the LEA level.

Reminders

Initial ELPAC 2024–25 Field Test Administration

LEAs have 30 days from the first day of enrollment to complete testing, score, and notify parents of results. Students must complete all four domains to receive a score. Student Score Reports will be available in TOMS within 48 hours after entering responses into the Data Entry Interface (DEI) and scoring in the Teacher Hand Scoring System (THSS) is complete.

Students who complete the Initial ELPAC and are identified as an English learner (EL) will be eligible to take the Summative ELPAC when the 2024–25 test administration begins in February. Students who complete the Initial ELPAC during the Summative ELPAC administration window and are designated as an EL must also complete the Summative ELPAC during that same window.

All LEAs must use new Initial ELPAC field test materials for the 2024–25 test administration. Initial ELPAC field testing materials orders can be made during the supplemental test materials order window, which began on May 13, 2024, and ends on June 6, 2025. All previous-year Initial ELPAC testing materials should have been securely destroyed at the conclusion of the 2023–24 Initial ELPAC test administration window.

Domain Exemptions for the Initial ELPAC and Summative ELPAC

When administering the Initial ELPAC or Summative ELPAC to a student with a disability, the LEA should provide all the available accessibility resources as defined in the California Assessment Accessibility Resources Matrix document on the CDE CA Assessment Accessibility Resources Matrix web page, including universal tools; designated supports; and accommodations that are required in the student's individualized education program (IEP) or Section 504 plan. After reviewing the domain exemption guidance and sample scenarios provided in the Domain Exemptions subsection of the ELPAC Information Guide, a student whose IEP or Section 504 plan team determines that the student's disability precludes them from accessing one or more domains of the ELPAC—even with allowed universal tools, designated supports, or accommodations—may be eligible for domain exemption(s). However, for the Initial ELPAC and Summative ELPAC, a student may only be exempt from one domain per composite, with a maximum of two domain exemptions allowed. To receive a score, a student must be assessed in the remaining domains within each composite.

Upcoming Trainings

To register or locate additional details about upcoming trainings, including dates, times, and content, visit the Upcoming and On-Demand Training Opportunities web page.

December 3: Pretest Virtual Training Series

The Pretest Virtual Training Series is held from 2–4 p.m. and will provide LEA ELPAC coordinators and LEA CAASPP coordinators with information about changes and updates to ELPAC and CAASPP testing for the 2024–25 test administration. Register now for the December 2024 Pretest Virtual Training Series.

December 10: Coffee Session, 2–3 p.m.

These virtual monthly Coffee Sessions, hosted by the California Department of Education (CDE) and ETS, offer opportunities for LEA staff to ask questions and get answers about assessments, trainings, resources, and more. If you are not already registered, you can register on the Coffee Session Series registration web page. By registering once, you will be eligible to attend all upcoming sessions.

December 12, January 16: New Coordinator Training Webinar #8 and 9

Register for one or more sessions of the 2024–25 New Coordinator Training Webinar Series. This training series is held from 3–4 p.m. on various dates throughout the year to provide just-in-time information for LEA ELPAC coordinators and LEA CAASPP coordinators. Webinar #8, held on December 12, 2024, and Webinar #9, held on January 16, 2025, will focus on information to help coordinators prepare for testing. These webinars will end with a question and answer session with experienced coordinators.

Educator Meeting Opportunities

We need your input! California educators are an essential part of the assessment development process. Teachers who work closely with our students provide an important perspective that informs and improves the ELPAC and CAASPP. Meetings are held remotely, and this is an excellent opportunity for participating educators to provide vital input in test composition, accessibility, and implementation.

Opportunities for the 2024–25 test administration are now available.

• The Alternate ELPAC Item Review meeting will be held in April 22 through 24, 2025. Educators interested in participating should apply by January 3, 2025.
• The Summative ELPAC Data Review Meeting will be held in May 2025; dates will be announced soon. Educators interested in participating should apply by January 24, 2025.
• The Alternate ELPAC and California Alternate Assessments Combined Data Review meeting will be held June 24–26, 2025. Educators interested in participating should apply by March 7, 2025.

Details for upcoming meetings can be found on the Get Involved web page on the CAASPP & ELPAC Website.

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.

Available Now!

Asynchronous Trainings

The following live trainings were recently posted and are now available on the CAASPP and ELPAC Upcoming and On-Demand Trainings web page:

• November Coffee Session

Understanding the Summative ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC SSRs

Summative ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC Student Score Reports (SSRs) have been updated for the 2024–25 test administration. A new Understanding the Summative ELPAC SSR video and a new Understanding the Summative Alternate ELPAC SSR video are now available for parents/guardians. These videos can be used at English Language Advisory Committee meetings with parents/guardians at the site and LEA levels. We recommend your LEA include these links wherever your LEA is providing SSRs to parents/guardians. Spanish versions will be available soon.

Ongoing Reminders

Administration of ELPAC Interim Assessments

The ELPAC Interim Assessments are available for the 2024–25 test administration. A second set of 28 new ELPAC Interim Assessments was released on September 17, 2024.

The Interim Assessment User Guide has been updated for the 2024–25 test administration. The Interim Assessment User Guide provides guidance on the overall process for the administration of the ELPAC interim assessments and any updates made to these processes, including the update to the DEI that requires educators to manually select Nonstandardized as the manner of administration when administering an assessment in a nonstandardized way.

Information on ELPAC Interim Assessments is available on the CAASPP and ELPAC Interim Assessments web page.

Initial Alternate ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC Test Assignments in TOMS

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 IEP 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.

The assignment of the Initial ELPAC does not require students to be assigned to the Summative ELPAC. If the IEP team determines later that the student is eligible to take alternate assessments and the student has been identified as an EL, the student should be assigned the Summative Alternate ELPAC.

Students assigned to the Summative Alternate ELPAC will take an alternate assessment for each summative assessment that they are eligible to take. LEA ELPAC coordinators should work with LEA CAASPP coordinators to ensure students who will take an alternate assessment for the ELPAC are assigned to take an alternate assessment for CAASPP.

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 CAASPP and ELPAC Scoring and Reporting Guide. In addition, ensure that SSRs are properly displayed in such a manner for parents/guardians to be able to access only scores for their own children.

Scoring Job Opportunities

ETS is accepting applications for scorers. This is an excellent opportunity for educators to become more familiar with the new generation of California assessments. Scoring schedules are flexible and can include four-, six-, and eight-hour weekday or weekend shifts. California educators interested in applying can access more information on the ETS Online Scoring web page. Questions about the application or hiring process should be directed to etsrater@ets.org. Current scorers can reach out to ratercertify@ets.org for any scoring-related questions.

Previous ELPAC Monthly Communications

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

Additional Help

• 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.