Assessment Spotlight, Issue 243

Focusing on the CAASPP System and English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC)—and including, when timely, updates on California’s other statewide assessments. For questions related to test administration, coordination, and trainings, visit the CAASPP website and the ELPAC website .

2023 California Assessment Conference—Register Today for Two Days of Learning and Connecting

With the theme of Charting the Course Between Instruction and Assessment, the 2023 California Assessment Conference (CAC) sessions will focus on the use of assessment tools, resources, and data to support classroom instruction. Attendees will have the opportunity to customize their learning by selecting sessions presented by educators from across California. Register today to secure your spot for October 9–10, 2023, in Sacramento, California.

For more information about the conference and to register visit the CAC website .

New Coordinator Training Webinar #2—Accessibility

Calling all local educational agency (LEA) CAASPP and ELPAC coordinators who are new to their role or want a refresher. This training is geared towards reviewing coordinator tasks for determining and assigning accessibility resources for statewide testing. Please note that no new information or updates about systems for the current year will happen in these trainings.

This second New Coordinator Webinar of the 2023–24 series will take place on Thursday, September 21, 2023, from 3–4 p.m. Register now to take a deep dive into assessment accessibility.

Opportunity This Fall: Smarter Balanced Math and English Language Arts/Literacy Item Review

Get involved in assessment development this fall! Smarter Balanced is recruiting educators for its mathematics and English language arts/literacy (ELA) item review sessions. Educators complete a virtual synchronous review of test questions (items) for ELA or mathematics considering content, fairness, and accessibility criteria. Smarter Balanced item quality criteria will be provided to item reviewers at the beginning of the meetings.

Smarter Balanced has developed qualification criteria for selecting participants for mathematics and ELA item reviews. You meet the basic qualifications if you:

• Are currently certified or licensed to teach English language arts/literacy or mathematics in a kindergarten through grade twelve public school or certified in one or more of the areas of accessibility, diversity, equity, or inclusion
• Are currently teaching in a public school or employed by a public school, district, or state education entity, including higher education
• Have served in one of the following capacities within the past three years:
  • Teaching ELA or mathematics in grades three through eight or high school
  • Working in a classroom content support role (e.g., literacy specialist; district- or state-level content specialist)
  • Teaching diverse students in grades three through eight or high school, including, but not limited to, students of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds; gender identities; English learner, disability, or socioeconomic status; or urban/suburban/rural location
• Have previously reviewed part or all the Common Core State Standards for mathematics

Substitute reimbursement will be offered if a substitute teacher is required. A mathematics item review session will be conducted virtually October 16–20. Find information about this review and additional details on the Smarter Balanced Educator Recruitment FAQs web page . Please complete the Smarter Balanced Educator Recruitment application and share this information with teachers and other educators in your school or district. If you are not selected for an upcoming activity, you will be added to the list for participation in future item activities.

2023 Institute of Education Sciences Mathematics Summit

On September 12, 19, and 26, leading experts will discuss the latest scholarship on strategies for mathematics instruction and academic interventions; highlight solutions rooted in research and successful classroom practices; and explore emerging resources. This is a free virtual conference where educators and experts will address the unprecedented learning crisis in mathematics that followed the COVID-19 pandemic. The Summit will take place from 9:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. PT (noon–5:30 p.m. ET). Registration is available on the IES Math Summit web page .

The Summit will address six themes across Pre-K–3, 4–8, and 9–12 grade-level spans:

1. Increasing Opportunities to Learn and Raising Expectations for All
2. Strategies for Differentiating Instruction for Diverse Learners
3. High-Dosage Tutoring and Other Academic Recovery Strategies
4. Learning Progressions and High School Pathways
5. Language and Mathematics
6. Leveraging STEAM Applications for In-Demand Careers

Please share this email with any educators in your LEA who would be interested in or benefit from this information. To join the email list, send a blank email message to subscribe-caaspp@mlist.cde.ca.gov. Are you a new subscriber? Visit the California Department of Education Assessment Spotlight web page to find previous issues.