Assessment Spotlight, Issue 348

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 and ELPAC website .

New Coordinator Training Webinar #9: Support During Testing

Register now for the New Coordinator Training Webinar—Support During Testing on January 15, 2026, from 3 to 4 p.m. This webinar will focus on:

• Ongoing support to sites
• Supporting students with special needs
• Common testing Issues

Hope you can join us!

Now Available: CAASPP Test Administrator Training Materials

The California Department of Education (CDE) is excited to announce that the CAASPP Test Administrator Training materials (PPTX) are now available in the Training Staff section of the Coordinator How-to Hub .These resources were developed in direct response to feedback from local educational agency (LEA) assessment coordinators and are intended to support delivering effective, adaptable, and locally relevant training.

Materials Included:

• Comprehensive Training Slide Deck
• Detailed Training Resource Guide

Key Benefits:

• Flexible: Use the training deck as is or break it into shorter sessions to fit your needs.
• Customizable: Add your own information and LEA specific details with ease

Whether you are planning a full-day training or a series of shorter sessions, these materials are designed to provide structure, clarity, and adaptability to meet your needs.

2026 Golden State Seal Merit Diploma: New Procedure

Starting in 2025–26, the CDE will no longer be mailing physical copies of the gold insignias and the black and white insignias to LEAs. Instead, the CDE will be transitioning to the use of a digital image of the insignias to be used on both the diploma and transcript. Once LEAs complete and submit a request form, the insignia images will be emailed directly to the requestor. LEAs should determine how the insignias will be applied onto the diploma and transcript well in advance of the end of the school year. Depending upon an LEA’s unique factors, one of the following options may be preferable over another:

• LEAs can electronically embed the Golden State Seal directly onto the diploma or transcript prior to printing
• LEAs can choose to print the insignias themselves and affix them directly onto the diploma and transcript

Please visit the Golden State Seal Merit Diploma web page for more information. For any questions, please email gssmd@cde.ca.gov.

Upcoming Systems Downtime

To prepare for the opening of the 2025–26 summative assessment window, the CAASPP and ELPAC Test Operations Management System will be unavailable for a scheduled downtime from Friday, January 16, at 5 p.m. to Tuesday, January 20, at 8 a.m.
The CAASPP-ELPAC System Downtime Schedule provides a calendar of scheduled downtimes through June 2026.

Reminder to Register for the 2025–26 Formative Assessment Shared Practices Webinar Series

Registration is open for the Formative Assessment Shared Practices Webinar Series, a CDE hosted professional learning opportunity for LEA staff, namely classroom teachers and administrators. Hear from teachers, principals, and district administrators as they share how they are promoting and using formative assessment to support teaching and learning for all students. Each webinar in the series focuses on a different topic, including formative assessment and accessibility strategies, instructional resources for science, and professional learning resources that support English language development. Please join us and encourage your local educators to attend. Each webinar in this series will be an excellent professional learning opportunity for administrators and teacher teams to watch together.
Register now for the Formative Assessment Shared Practices Webinar Series .

Site Administrators Kick Off the New Year in the Know

You do not want to miss the January Site Administrator Assessment Convening. This is an opportunity to hear directly from CDE staff about assessment resources, ask questions, and share ideas with other site administrators throughout the state.
This one-hour virtual convening will provide information on accessibility resources for students on the CAASPP and ELPAC, formative assessment resource updates, and upcoming training opportunities for school staff. Two convening dates and times are available to choose from. Do not miss out! Register now for the January 2026 Site Administrator Assessment Convening .

K–2 Educator Recruitment for English Language Arts and Math Resource Development

Smarter Balanced will soon begin developing English language arts and math lesson plans for kindergarten, first grade, and second grade (K–2). All the lesson plans will feature formative assessment and accessibility strategies and will be available on the Tools for Teachers website. The CDE is looking for California K–2 teachers to assist in the development of these new resources—specifically, current K–2 classroom teachers with strong expertise in grade-level expectations and experience supporting the unique needs of young learners. For further details, or to submit the name of a K–2 teacher for consideration, please contact Tammy Saldaña at tsaldana@cde.ca.gov.

To receive future CAASPP and ELPAC updates and notifications, subscribe to the CAASPP mailing list by sending a blank email message to subscribe-caaspp@mlist.cde.ca.gov. Are you a new subscriber? For previous Assessment Spotlight issues, visit the California Department of Education Assessment Spotlight web page.