Assessment Spotlight, Issue 290

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 California Assessment Conference: Register for Three Days of Learning and Connecting

The sixth annual California Assessment Conference (CAC) will take place on October 15–17, 2024, at the Riverside Convention Center in Riverside, CA, with a focus on Empowering Educators: Leveraging Assessment Data and Tools for Classroom Success.

Attendees will have the option to choose from over 80 sessions presented by educators from across California, and hear from an outstanding keynote speaker, Dr. John Hodge, who is the president and co-founder of the Urban Learning and Leadership Center, an organization focused on student achievement and reduction of the achievement gap. During his keynote, Dr. Hodge will reflect on his educational experience and the life-changing power of educators.

For more information and a link to registration, visit the CAC website .

Register Now for New Coordinator Training Webinar #5 – Accessibility

Register now for the New Coordinator Training Webinar – Accessibility, designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in your role. This session will be held on September 19, 2024, from 3–4 p.m. and will cover:

• The “why” of accessibility
• 1–2–3–4s of accessibility
• The Individual Student Assessment Accessibility Profile process

Please share this invitation with colleagues who may benefit from this valuable training and register today at 2024–25 New Coordinator Training Webinar Series Zoom registration site .

Join us for the Fall Site Administrator Assessment Convenings

Join us for the Site Administrator Fall Assessment Convenings! These convenings provide an opportunity to ask questions, gain valuable information from the Assessment Development and Administration Division of the California Department of Education (CDE), network, and share best practices with other Administrators throughout California. This session will focus on the CAASPP and ELPAC interim assessments and how to successfully implement them at your site. Site administrators or their selected site designees are encouraged to attend. The training sessions will take place on the following days:

• Wednesday, September 18, 2024, 12:00–1:00 p.m.
• Thursday, September 19, 2024, 9:00–10:00 a.m.

Register today for one of the sessions.

Organization of the California Alternate Assessment for Science

The California Alternate Assessment (CAA) for Science testing window opens on Tuesday, September 17, 2024. The Organization of the California Alternate Assessment for Science flyer provides useful information for test examiners as they prepare to administer the embedded performance tasks (PTs).

The CAA for Science includes four PTs, which can be administered at any time throughout the school year soon after instruction on the related content. Test examiners must use the Directions for Administration, found in the Test Operations Management System (TOMS) through secure logon, to administer each PT. Each PT consists of two sections, each of which includes an orienting activity followed by five questions at three levels of increasing complexity for a total of ten questions. For a better understanding of how the CAA for Science is organized and to view a diagram outlining the format of each of the PTs, refer to the Organization of the California Alternate Assessment for Science flyer.

For further assistance in preparing for the administration of the CAA for Science PTs, visit the CAASPP CAA web page and the TOMS Administration Information for the CAA for Science web page .

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 CDE Assessment Spotlight web page.