Assessment Spotlight, Issue 306

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 .

2024–25 CAASPP Summative Assessment Window Opens

As of January 14, 2025, the CAASPP Smarter Balanced for English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics; the California Science Test; and the California Alternate Assessments (CAAs) for ELA and mathematics are available for administration in the secure test delivery system. The California Spanish Assessment will be available starting March 4, 2025. The CAA for Science became available on September 17, 2024.

Students will have access to the summative CAASPP within the local educational agency (LEA) selected testing window, as determined by the LEA CAASPP coordinator, after 66 percent of the instructional year for the LEA has passed.

The following resources provide key information to assist educators in preparing for administration of the summative CAASPP:

• CAASPP Test Administrator Tutorial
• Administer a Test Session web page (includes documents and resources to aid in the administration process, including Quick Reference Guides)
• CAASPP Online Test Administration Manual (includes Directions for Administration of general CAASPP assessments)

For more information about CAASPP Summative Assessments, visit the Smarter Balanced Assessments for ELA and Mathematics , California Science Test , California Alternate Assessments , and the California Spanish Assessment web pages.

Register Now for the New Coordinator Training Webinar

Register for the New Coordinator Training Webinar – Completion Tracking and Security session on February 20, 2025, 3–4 p.m. This session will focus on:

• Test security
• The Security and Test Administration Incident Reporting System (STAIRS)
• The Crisis Alert Response System (CARS)

Please share this invitation with your colleagues who might benefit from this valuable training opportunity. We look forward to seeing you there!

New Vignettes Posted to the Coordinator How–to Hub

We are thrilled to share that we have added five more sets of vignettes to our CAASPP & ELPAC Coordinator How-to Hub . The Hub features experienced coordinators sharing how they approach their work locally.

The Coordinator How-to Hub is an incredible resource. It is a one-stop collection of “How-To” resources, organized by timeframe and topic. There are 24 vignette topics, and within each topic, you can hear from experienced coordinators at small, medium, and large LEAs, including charter schools and County Offices of Education. No password is needed to access these resources.

Site Administrator Resource Survey

The California Department of Education (CDE) is committed to helping educators effectively communicate the importance and benefits of CAASPP and ELPAC testing. We are seeking feedback from site administrators on existing resources and ways we can support sites by communicating the importance of CAASPP and ELPAC to parent/guardians and students. Please forward this short Site Administrator Resource Survey to your site administrators to help us understand how we can best support you in this work. The survey will close on January 31, 2025.

California Educator Reporting System Trainings

There is still time to register for the California Educator Reporting System (CERS) spring 2025 training sessions: CERS Beyond the Basics and Accessing Summative Results in CERS. These facilitated, virtual training sessions build upon the Introduction to CERS training, which is available as a series of microlearning videos on the Upcoming and On-Demand Trainings web page .

The spring 2025 CERS trainings include:

• 2024–25 CERS—Beyond the Basics for Teachers
• 2024–25 CERS—Beyond the Basics for Coordinators and Administrators
• 2024–25 Accessing Summative Assessment Results in CERS

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 CDE Assessment Spotlight web page.