Alternate ELPAC

California’s statewide alternate assessment for English language proficiency (ELP) for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

Program Overview

The California Department of Education is developing the Alternate English Language Proficiency Assessments for California, or Alternate ELPAC. The purpose of the Alternate ELPAC is twofold: the Initial Alternate ELPAC will provide information to determine a student’s initial classification as an English learner (EL) or as initial fluent English proficient (IFEP) and the Summative Alternate ELPAC will provide information on student annual progress toward ELP and support decisions for students to be redesignated fluent English proficient (RFEP).

The Alternate ELPAC will be aligned to the English language development connectors and are linked to the 2012 California English Language Development Standards.

The Alternate ELPAC will replace all locally determined alternate assessments and provide a consistent, standardized measurement of ELP across the state for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

The following table provides a high-level development timeline for the Alternate ELPAC:

Year	Development Activity
May 2019	State Board of Education (SBE) approved the high-level test design
January 2020	Pilot test and cognitive labs
May 2020	Proposed test blueprints to the SBE
January–February 2021	Statewide operational field test
July 2021	Operational Initial Alternate ELPAC
February 2022	Operational Summative Alternate ELPAC

Refer to the following table for suggestions on what your local educational agency (LEA) can do to prepare for the transition to the statewide Alternate ELPAC, by school year:

School Year	What To Do
2019–2020	Use locally determined alternate ELP assessments for initial and summative purposes. Have individualized education program (IEP) teams plan for ELs with the most significant cognitive disabilities to take the Alternate ELPAC statewide field test in 2020–21.
2020–21	Have IEP teams identify ELs with the most significant cognitive disabilities to take the Alternate ELPAC statewide field test. No longer use locally determined alternate ELP assessments for summative purposes.
2021–22	Use the operational Alternate ELPAC for initial and summative purposes.

Resources and Communication Material

Alternate Assessment IEP Team Guidance – Guidelines for IEP teams regarding participation in the California Alternate Assessments and the Alternate ELPAC.

Alternate Assessment Decision Confirmation Worksheet (PDF)

Alternate ELPAC flyer (PDF)

Alternate ELPAC Factsheet (PDF)

Alternate ELPAC Parent Guide to Understanding (PDF)