Assessment Spotlight, Issue 379

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 and ELPAC website .

California Educator Reporting System Essentials: Training Recordings Available and New Sessions Ahead

The 2026–27 California Educator Reporting System (CERS) Essentials Training Series offers practical, topic-focused virtual sessions to help teachers and administrators make the most of the CERS.

Recordings from the first two sessions are now available in the links below, along with presentation slides and resource guides:

• Session 1: Getting to Know the System
  
• Session 2: Managing Student Groups as an Administrator

Teachers and administrators are encouraged to participate in the upcoming sessions held virtually from 3:30 to 4:25 p.m.:

• Session 3: Exploring the Features of Interim Assessment Data—October 7, 2026
  
• Session 4: Creating Customized Reports as an Administrator—October 21, 2026

The series continues through May 2027 with sessions on custom student groups, writing extended response scores, and accessing summative assessment results. All CERS users can benefit from these sessions, whether new to CERS or looking to strengthen existing skills.

 Register for the 2026–27 CERS Essentials Training Series

Professional Learning for the ELPAC Listening Domain: Listen to an Oral Presentation Task Type

Support educators through a 45‑minute facilitated experience using this professional learning resource, ELPAC Listening Domain Professional Learning: Listen to an Oral Presentation (LPR) Task Type (account required). The activities in this resource model effective instructional practices while deepening participants’ familiarity with ELPAC Interim Assessment resources.

Formative assessment strategies are modeled throughout as participants engage with an Entrance Ticket activity, KWL Strategy charts, a Notice/Wonder analysis, collaborative discussions, and an Exit Ticket as a reflection. These strategies help educators identify the language skills required for proficiency, interpret student listening demands, and connect assessment insights to instructional practice. By the end of this training, participants are better equipped to use formative assessment strategies intentionally and to design instruction that supports student success on listening task types.

To view this and other Tools for Teachers resources, local educational agency (LEA) staff need a Tools for Teachers account, which is free of charge and can be obtained either through self-registration, described in the flyer How to Self-Register for Tools for Teachers (PDF), or by contacting their testing 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 California Department of Education Assessment Spotlight web page to find previous issues.