Assessment Spotlight, Issue 241

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 .

Now Available! 2023–24 Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments

The 2023–24 Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments for English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics are now available! There are more than 200 Smarter Balanced Interim Assessment forms for educators to choose from—114 for ELA and 95 for mathematics.

The following resources provide key information to assist educators in learning about the interim assessments and planning for administration:

• 2023–24 Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments Overview (PDF), describes the Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments, including their purpose, use, and varieties. This overview provides a list of interim assessments available in each grade for ELA and mathematics.

• 2023–24 Interim Assessments At-a-Glance (PDF), provides a quick view of all available interim assessments by content area and grade level.

• 2023–24 Interim Assessments by Grade (PDF), provides details about every available interim assessment form by grade, including content alignment, the total number of items, and the number of items that require hand scoring.

Local educational agency (LEA) staff who have access to the Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments can use the Interim Assessment Viewing System to preview interim assessment forms. In addition, the Interim Assessment Item Portal can be used to generate answer keys and search for individual interim assessment items that align with specific content of interest.

For more information about the Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments for ELA and mathematics, visit the California Department of Education (CDE) Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments web page.

In the coming months, the new California Science Test (CAST) and ELPAC Interim Assessments will be launched. The 2023–24 Interim Assessments At-a-Glance (PDF) and the 2023–24 Interim Assessments by Grade (PDF) documents provide key information about these forthcoming interim assessments. More details about the release plan for these new interim assessments will be available in upcoming Spotlight articles.

Charter School Assessment Coordinator Network Quarterly Meeting—August 23, 2023

Wondering how other charter schools handle statewide assessment administration? Or simply looking to connect with other charter school assessment coordinators? If so, then this meeting is for you!

The next quarterly meeting of the Charter School Assessment Coordinators Network will take place on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, 9:30–11 a.m.

Register today at the Webinar Registration to join charter school assessment coordinators from across California to hear timely assessment and accountability information and connect with other coordinators.

Please contact us at caaspp@scoe.net with any questions.

Summer CAASPP New Coordinator Trainings—Register Now

Calling all LEA CAASPP coordinators who are new to their role or want a refresher! The 2023–24 New Coordinator Training—Summer CAASPP sessions will take place in September. Hosted by our county office of education partners, the first CAASPP coordinator training will:

• Focus on the roles and responsibilities of the LEA CAASPP coordinator in planning and preparing for a successful CAASPP administration,

• Familiarize new coordinators with the assessments that fall under the CAASPP umbrella,

• Explain the responsibilities of the CAASPP coordinator, and

• Offer suggested time frames for completing activities.

To register, visit the CAASPP Training Opportunities web page and select a training date in your county/region, or any date that works for you.

California Alternate Assessment for Science Administration Planning Guides

The 2023–24 California Alternate Assessment (CAA) for Science Administration Planning Guides for grades five and eight and high school have been posted on the CAASPP CAA for Science Administration Planning Guides web page. These guides provide the assessed Science Connectors and include a testing planner to help prepare for the best time to administer the four embedded performance tasks throughout the school year. Schools are assigned to one of four forms, and all grade levels within a school have the same form assignment. It is important to download the materials associated with the correct form for the administration of the CAA for Science. LEAs can locate their form assignments by county/district/school code on the CAASPP CAA for Science Form Assignments web page.

LEAs should access these guides early to ensure the careful and timely planning of the four embedded performance tasks over the course of the school year. The CAA for Science testing window opens on Tuesday, September 19, 2023.

ELPAC Question of the Week

Where is the Initial ELPAC and Initial Alternate ELPAC Student File Layout located in the Test Operations Management System (TOMS)?

The Initial ELPAC and Initial Alternate ELPAC Student Data File Layout can be accessed from the Initial ELPAC Reports under the Reports tab. The file layout should be provided to your Student Information System vendors to support the upload of results.

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.