Assessment Spotlight, Issue 152

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 .

2021–22 ELPAC Information Guide Is Here

The 2021–22 ELPAC Information Guide is posted on the California Department of Education (CDE) website! This excellent resource for coordinators, educators, and parents/guardians provides detailed information about the Summative, Initial, and Alternate ELPAC. New to this year’s edition are the following:

• The Alternate ELPAC information has been reorganized to align with the Initial and Summative ELPAC sections.
• Further information has been included regarding the Alternate ELPAC operational field test, which begins this fall, on November 1.
• The Correction of Classification Errors information has been reorganized to include local educational agency (LEA) actions and California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System codes to better facilitate this process.

Initial ELPAC Remote Videos Available

The following Initial ELPAC videos can now be accessed on the CAASPP-ELPAC YouTube channel and ELPAC website as well as in the online Initial ELPAC Test Administration Manual:

• How to Take a Remote Initial ELPAC: A Video for Students
• Administering a Remote Initial ELPAC One-on-One Test Session
• Group Administration of a Remote Initial ELPAC
• K–2 Initial ELPAC Remote Test Administration: Listening and Reading
• K–2 Initial ELPAC Remote Test Administration: Writing
• K–12 Initial ELPAC Remote Test Administration: Speaking

Check out these valuable resources—one video for students on how to take the Initial ELPAC remotely, and the others providing detailed instructions on administering the Initial ELPAC remotely!

Upcoming Educator Opportunity: CSA Development

¡Tu voz es importante! Your voice is important! The CDE is looking for educators who are bilingual and biliterate in Spanish to participate in the continued development of the California Spanish Assessment (CSA). Participation in this work offers many opportunities to have powerful input on the development and administration of the CSA.

Virtual three-day meetings will be held September and October:

• Item Writer Workshop, September 14–16, providing educators an opportunity to learn about the construction of items for the CSA and brainstorm topics and items that may be used in future years.
• Item Review Meeting, October 19–21, providing educators an opportunity to examine items for content and potential bias and sensitivity concerns.

Substitute teacher expenses will be reimbursed, and honorariums may be available. To apply, please contact the CAASPP Project Team by phone at 916-228-2682 or by email at edopportunities@scoe.net.

Find information about CSA opportunities for educators on the CAASPP Opportunities to Get Involved web page . All California educators who teach Spanish are encouraged to apply.

All Set for 2021–22: Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments

The 2021–22 Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments are now available! Altogether, the three types of interim assessments—Interim Comprehensive Assessments, Interim Assessment Blocks (IABs), and focused IABs—offer educators a selection of more than 200 interim assessments.

Educators can use the following resources to find information to assist them in understanding and deciding which interim assessments to administer:

• 2021–22 Interim Assessments Overview (PDF), which describes the interim assessments, including their purpose, use, and varieties, and provides a list of interim assessments available for each grade and subject.
• 2021–22 Interim Assessments at a Glance (PDF), which provides a quick view of all available interim assessments by content area and grade level.
• 2021–22 Interim Assessments by Grade (PDF), which provides details about every available interim assessment by grade, including the claims and targets assessed, the total number of items, and the number of items that require hand scoring.

LEA staff who have access to the interim assessments can search by means of the Interim Assessment Item Portal (IAIP) for individual interim assessment items that align with a specific content of interest. These staff can use the IAIP to identify specific items that align with their particular instructional sequence and obtain the targeted information. This tool makes the use of interim assessments even more flexible and helps guide year-long planning. It can be accessed through the side menu on the Tools for Teachers website (account requried).

For more information about the Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments, visit the CDE Interim Assessments web page.

New Guidance for CAAs and Alternate ELPAC: Alt for All

The guidance for identifying students for the California Alternate Assessments (CAAs) and the Alternate ELPAC has recently been updated to clarify student eligibility. While individual education program (IEP) teams make the decision on a student’s eligibility for alternate assessments on the basis of significant cognitive disability, the new guidance addresses concerns about determining students identified with specific learning disabilities as eligible for alternate assessments. Students who have been identified under these criteria do not qualify as significantly cognitively impaired.

In addition, once an IEP team determines that a student is eligible to take alternate assessments and registers that student to take an alternate assessment in the Test Operations Management System, that student will automatically be registered to take the alternate version of all state-mandated CAASPP and ELPAC tests, thus Alt for All.

Find the details in the updated document Alternate Assessment IEP Team Guidance.

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 CDE Assessment Spotlight web page to find previous issues.