Assessment Spotlight, Issue 186

Focusing on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (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 .

Summer ELPAC New Coordinator Training—Register Now

Calling all local educational agency (LEA) ELPAC coordinators who are new to their role or want a refresher! The 2022–23 New ELPAC Coordinator Training summer sessions will take place in June. This training will be hosted by multiple county offices of education located throughout the state and is the first of the ELPAC coordinator trainings. This training will:

• Familiarize new coordinators with the Initial and Summative ELPAC processes.
• Explain the responsibilities of the ELPAC coordinator.
• Offer suggested time frames for completing activities.
• Explore procedures and practices to support a successful ELPAC administration.

Locations, dates, and registration links are provided on the ELPAC Upcoming Training Opportunities web page , where the training is listed under June 2022.

California Spanish Assessment Opportunity to Get Involved!

Are you a Spanish educator who is interested in the continued development of the California Spanish Assessment (CSA)? If so, the California Department of Education (CDE) invites you to submit your interest in an upcoming virtual CSA Data Review Meeting, which will be held   July 11–12. During this meeting, educators will review data on the performance of test items that were field-tested this spring. Do not miss out on this outstanding opportunity to learn more about the elements of test development and to network with other Spanish educators across California.

To apply, you will need an Educator Opportunities Portal account. If you have not established one, you will need to create an account on the CAASPP and ELPAC Opportunitues to Get Involved web page . If you already have created one, you can go directly to the Educator Opportunities Portal to apply.

Other test development meetings are scheduled to begin as soon as this August. Visit the CAASPP Opportunities to Get Involved web page regularly to get the latest information on these meetings.

May’s Featured Resource in Tools for Teachers: Desmos - Balloon Float

Extra! Extra! Elementary school teachers: Are you in need of a fun, interactive way for your students to demonstrate their problem-solving skills in a real-life application of basic mathematics operations—specifically, multiplication and division? This month’s Tools for Teachers math instructional resource, Desmos - Balloon Float, is a great activity to engage your students and assess their understanding of division and remainders. For more information on this month's Tools for Teachers math instructional resource, please visit Desmos - Balloon Float (account required).

This grade four lesson uses the Desmos platform to have students solve a simulated real-life problem focused on determining the number of balloons needed to float an object when given the mass of each. Formative assessment strategies, including Notice/Wonder and Strategic Questioning, are embedded throughout the lesson to provide the teacher with valuable information about students’ level of mastery and ability to explain their thought processes.

First, the students work with one size of balloon in the simulation, and then with balloons of multiple sizes. The students then work in pairs to practice using applicable mathematics vocabulary and the 5 Math Processes (predict, observe, select, order, connect) to determine the most efficient solution to the problem. This Tools for Teachers resource includes a detailed lesson plan, handouts, Desmos tools, supplemental materials, and a teacher’s guide. A remote/hybrid instructional support resource is also provided. To implement this resource, the teacher must log on to the Desmos website as well.

To view this and other grade four instructional resources, LEA staff need a Tools for Teachers account, which they can obtain either through self-registration, which is described in the flyer How to Self-Register for Tools for Teachers (PDF), or through their LEA CAASPP coordinator.

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.