Assessment Spotlight, Issue 272

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.

Questions of the Week for ELPAC

What can be done if a student is reclassified during the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California window and tested?

When a student is reclassified in the middle of the Summative ELPAC administration and completed one or more domains, the best practice is to enter a Security and Test Administration Incident Reporting System (STAIRS) case to remove each domain that has been administered. In the case of the Summative Alternate ELPAC, a STAIRS case is needed to remove the assessment.

Can a student opt out of the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California?

There is no opt-out option for the ELPAC for eligible students. State and federal laws require that all English learner students be assessed annually on the state English language proficiency assessment until reclassified as fluent English proficient.

System Downtime Underway

The Test Operations Management System will be unavailable as of today, Friday, April 12, at 5 p.m. through Monday, April 15, at 8 a.m. for a scheduled downtime.

Visit the CAASPP Planned System Downtime and ELPAC Planned System Downtime web pages for more information.

Direct any questions about the scheduled downtime to your local educational agency’s (LEA’s) assigned LEA Success Agent. You can locate your LEA's assigned Success Agent on the LEA Success Agents web page. For other support options, visit the California Outreach web page.

April’s Featured Resource in Tools for Teachers—Sort for Support

This month’s featured Tools for Teachers instructional resource—Sort for Support (account required)—provides a structured and engaging approach for students to analyze sources and select textual evidence that supports an author's idea or claim. This grade six English language arts/literacy (ELA) lesson includes teacher modeling and discussion opportunities that help students understand how to differentiate between evidence, reasoning, and nonsupporting details in a given text.

After introducing the learning goal to students at the beginning of the lesson, the Think-Pair-Share formative assessment strategy is used to clarify intended learning. Various formative assessment and accessibility strategies are embedded in the step-by-step directions—including a Think Aloud with the teacher modeling how to analyze text and Stronger and Clearer Each Time, an activity which allows students to explain their reasoning and clarify their responses. With several rounds of discussion throughout the lesson, students can share their justifications, discuss their reasoning, and compare their answers with other partner groups as students categorize sentences using a graphic organizer. The lesson wraps up as students determine the best supporting evidence. A list of teacher considerations is included, and an extension activity is offered where students can discuss the credibility and reliability of the source or author.

This resource is included in three ELA grade six Interim Assessment Connections Playlists— Performance Task; Research; and Research: Use Evidence. Each playlist consists of instructional resources that can be used to teach the content assessed on the corresponding Interim Assessment Block. To view this and other instructional resources, LEA staff need a Tools for Teachers account, which can be obtained either through self-registration, described in the flyer How to Self-Register for Tools for Teachers (PDF), or through their LEA CAASPP or ELPAC coordinator.

To receive future CAASPP 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.