Test Design and Administration Guidelines

The Alternate ELPAC is a computer-based, linear (nonadaptive) assessment for students in kindergarten through grade twelve with the most significant cognitive disabilities who are registered to take either the Initial ELPAC or Summative ELPAC. This assessment is for students whose IEP team decides they should take alternate assessments and who also have been identified as ELs.

Test Administration

The Alternate ELPAC is administered under untimed testing conditions in one-on-one administration. It is important to note that students will not be expected to interact directly with the computer; the one-on-one administration model will allow for the TEs to interact with the computer on behalf of a student, as appropriate to that student’s individual needs and abilities. Therefore, in some cases, the TE selects the responses indicated by the student. The TE should use the training tests to determine each student’s preferred mode of communication.

The Alternate ELPAC is designed for one-on-one administration. A student may respond

• by independently navigating and selecting responses directly in the testing device, with supervision, when able; or
• by indicating a response through any of the student’s alternate response modes—such as gestures, eye gaze, or an AAC device—and the TE then selects the response for the student in the testing platform.

For some test questions scored with a rubric, modeling of the correct answer by the TE is allowed as written in the rubric. Hand-over-hand or other physical prompting should not be used.

All test questions may be individualized on the basis of the student’s IEP and following the ELPAC Accessibility Resources for Operational Testing web document. Additionally, the DFA and PFA include directions for optional individualization that provides for the use of real objects, manipulatives, or picture cards. TEs should preview the PFAs and DFAs to decide whether individualization is appropriate. If so, the materials should be readied before testing.

Technical Requirements

The computer-based Alternate ELPAC is administered online and requires two internet-connected devices: a student testing device with the secure browser installed and a separate device that the Alternate ELPAC TE uses to start a test session through the Test Administrator Interface.

Summative Alternate ELPAC TEs may also use their device to access a DFA that is posted in TOMS and to access the DEI for LEAs that are participating in second scoring. For second scoring, the secondary TE should have a separate device and log on to score separately from the primary TE. All Form 2 DFAs will include a score sheet for secondary TEs in an appendix. This score sheet will contain instructions for the secondary TE. It is critical that the secondary TE simultaneously and independently score the rubric-scored items. As such, the PFA states explicitly that the secondary TE’s score must reflect the secondary TE’s independent judgment.

The TE may use the score sheet during the time of testing and enter scores after test administration in the DEI or enter scores into the DEI during the time of testing.

The computer-based Alternate ELPAC requires the installation of secure browsers on student testing devices. These are the same secure browsers that are used for the Summative ELPAC and CAASPP. Secure browsers are available for download on the Secure Browsers web page.

The general technical requirements and supported devices are also similar to those for the computer-based CAASPP and ELPAC assessments. These are described in the CAASPP and ELPAC Technical Specifications and Configuration Guide for Online Testing. Additional information on the technical requirements for the Alternate ELPAC is provided in the Preparing for the Alternate ELPAC Administration section of this manual.

Materials

PFAs

The PFA is a nonsecure document that contains information and instructions for preparing to administer the Alternate ELPAC. The coordinators and TEs should review the PFA in advance of testing to become familiar with testing guidelines for the Alternate ELPAC, including information for before, during, and after testing. Guidance is also provided on pause and expiration rules, pausing and ending the assessment, seating arrangements, and more. The PFAs for the Initial Alternate ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC are posted on the Administer a Test Session web page on the CAASPP & ELPAC Website and in the Moodle Training Site.

DFAs

The DFAs for the Alternate ELPAC include test-day instructions and must be used by the ELPAC TE to administer assessments to students. The DFAs also include the test administration script for the ELPAC TE to use at the beginning of testing and provide administration guidance for the day of testing.

The Initial Alternate ELPAC has only one form. The Summative Alternate ELPAC has two forms. Table 1 provides a list of the DFAs that will be available for this assessment.

Figure 1 presents a sample Summative Alternate ELPAC 2024–25 DFA cover for a grade one test form.

Figure 1. Summative Alternate ELPAC 2024–25 DFA forms for grade one

LEA ELPAC coordinators, site ELPAC coordinators, and Alternate ELPAC TEs desiring printed DFAs can access PDFs of the DFAs through the [Resources] tab on the top navigation bar in TOMS. DFAs will not be printed and shipped to the LEAs.

Summative Alternate ELPAC: Form Assignments

Form assignments for the Summative Alternate ELPAC test administration will be available prior to the opening of the testing window. Use the search tool on the Summative Alternate ELPAC Form Assignments web page to search for an LEA; the search returns the form number assigned to the LEA. In some cases, large LEAs will be assigned to multiple forms; these will be displayed accordingly.

Individualization

When preparing to administer the Alternate ELPAC to a student, decide whether individualization is appropriate. If so, gather the appropriate materials before testing with the student. A summary of materials that may be needed can be found in appendix A of the DFA.

Some students communicate using picture cards, yes and no cards, answer choice cards (A, B, C), or a communication device. For these students, TEs should use the yes and no cards and answer choice cards (A, B, C) that are used with the student in daily instruction. Note the following about individualization:

• Optional individualization provides for the use of real objects, manipulatives, or picture cards.
• The picture cards can be printed for student use. These can be ordered from SCOE at elpac@scoe.net or downloaded from the Secure Materials web page in TOMS.
• The picture cards can be programmed into a student’s AAC device.
• Alternate ELPAC Answer Choice Cards are available for TEs to use for students who use them in their daily instruction.

TEs should make sure the student is engaged with one or all of the manipulatives, objects, picture cards, and testing screen, as appropriate for the student.

Summative Alternate ELPAC: Second Scoring

Critical Element 4.4 of A State’s Guide to the U.S. Department of Education’s Assessment Peer Review Process (Department of Education, 2018) requires that any scoring involving human judgment, including scoring conducted by TEs, must contain evidence that the scoring of these items includes adequate procedures and criteria for ensuring and documenting interrater reliability. The purpose of second scoring is to establish and document standardized scoring procedures, and second scoring is one method of providing scorer reliability evidence.

Second scoring is the process of having another trained educator score a student’s rubric-scored items simultaneously, yet independently, from the student’s primary TE. The secondary TE must be present during the entirety of the administration along with the student and primary TE. The secondary TE is not involved in the assessment’s administration and should only be present to observe the student’s response.

The Summative Alternate ELPAC has two test forms per grade level or grade span: kindergarten; grade levels one and two; and grade spans three through five, six through eight, nine and ten, and eleven and twelve. Seven to nine items in each assessment will require TEs to score a student’s live response during the time of testing using a rubric provided in the DFA.

Results from the second scoring will be used by ETS to conduct interrater reliability analysis on rubric-scored items. The second scores will not be used for official scoring or reporting purposes, although analysis of aggregated second-scoring results will be included in the annual technical report for the Summative Alternate ELPAC. A student’s completion status and test results are reported whether the second scoring occurs or not.

Refer to the Summative Alternate ELPAC: Second Scoring TE subsection for qualifications and responsibilities of the second scorer.

Who Participates in Second Scoring?

Some schools will be required to participate in second scoring for each test administration year. A school may be selected for second scoring for either one of the Summative Alternate ELPAC or the CAA for ELA, but not both, in the same year. Prior to testing, LEA ELPAC coordinators and site ELPAC coordinators should check the Summative Alternate ELPAC Second Scoring web page on the CAASPP & ELPAC Website to determine whether they are selected. Summative Alternate ELPAC second scoring assignments are posted in November 2024. If selected, the Summative Alternate ELPAC for students within the selected schools must be second scored.

Qualifications for a Secondary Test Examiner for Summative Alternate ELPAC Second Scoring

As with the primary TE, the secondary TE must

1. receive training on how to administer the Summative Alternate ELPAC,
2. sign the ELPAC Test Security Affidavit in TOMS, and
3. be assigned a TOMS account with a test examiner user role.

Ideally, the secondary TE is also a teacher familiar with the student’s individual testing needs and preferred communication modes. Refer to the Alternate ELPAC Test Examiner Checklist for the roles and responsibilities of the primary and secondary TE.

Second-Scoring Process

Seven to nine items in the Summative Alternate ELPAC require TEs to score a student’s live response at the time of testing using a rubric provided in the DFA. Refer to the following resources for information about the step-by-step process for second scoring from a TE’s perspective:

• Alternate ELPAC DFA
• Second Scoring Process video
• How to Second Score for the Alternate ELPAC web document

While observing the administration and student’s responses for the rubric-scored items, the secondary TE must make a judgment on the student’s response based on the rubrics within the DFA. It is critical that the secondary TE is able to observe the student’s response according to the student’s preferred communication mode.

All second scores must be entered into the DEI before the end of the test administration window. A school may opt to take one of the following courses of action:

• Have the secondary TE enter the student’s second score directly into the DEI as the secondary TE observes the student’s response during test administration. (This requires access to a user device or laptop.) The secondary TE will need TE TOMS credentials and the student’s SSID to enter second scores into the DEI.
• Have the secondary TE use a printed answer-recording document, provided in appendix C of the DFA, to record second scores during test administration. Responses the secondary TE enters on the scoring sheet must then be entered into the DEI after the student’s assessment by the primary TE has been submitted.

After testing, the secondary TE or school administrator must enter the student’s score into the DEI before the end of the test administration window.

LEA ELPAC coordinators and site ELPAC coordinators can track the progress of assigned and completed tasks for second scoring in the LEA and test sites using the Summative Alternate ELPAC Second Scoring Status Report in TOMS. This report will include the following information:

• Students eligible for alternate assessment testing
• Students who have tested
• Students who have received a second score in the DEI

Second-Scoring Responsibilities of an LEA ELPAC Coordinator or Site ELPAC Coordinator

The LEA ELPAC coordinator or site ELPAC coordinator should confirm form assignments on the Summative Alternate ELPAC Second Scoring web page on the CAASPP & ELPAC Website. When a school is required to second score, the LEA ELPAC coordinator or site ELPAC coordinator will be responsible to take the following actions in support of the second-scoring process:

1. Review the second-scoring process as outlined in the DFA, which is downloaded in the [Resources] navigation tab in TOMS. (Refer to the Secure Materials chapter in the TOMS User Guide for additional information about how to download secure materials in TOMS, including the Summative Alternate ELPAC DFAs.)
2. Provide information about the AST on the CAASPP-ELPAC Moodle Training Site. It is the LEA ELPAC coordinator’s responsibility to ensure that a secondary TE is available and properly trained.
3. Ensure the secondary TE has the test examiner user role in TOMS if the TE is going to enter the scores.
4. Track second-scoring completion rates using the second-scoring report in TOMS.
5. Ensure all students in the assigned school have second scores submitted into the DEI before the end of the Summative Alternate ELPAC test administration window.

STAIRS Incident Report for Second Scoring

If the second score entered into the DEI belonged to a different student’s SSID, the student’s scores must be reset in the DEI and all of the student’s scores must be reentered. The STAIRS user interface and any STAIRS reports in TOMS will indicate whether the STAIRS case requires an irregularity flag. The irregularity flag does not impact scoring but signifies that a testing irregularity occurred during test administration. Refer to the STAIRS/Appeals Process subsection for the steps to report a testing incident.

Test Scheduling

Testing Window and Test Times

The Initial Alternate ELPAC testing window will be open from July 3, 2024, through June 30, 2025. Pursuant to CCR, Title 5, Section 11518.5(e), Initial Alternate ELPAC testing and parent/guardian notification of results must be done within 30 calendar days after students are first enrolled in a California public school or 60 calendar days prior to instruction, but not before July 1. LEAs may schedule testing according to local preference within this window and do not need to inform the CDE or ETS. All testing must take place within this window.

The Summative Alternate ELPAC testing window will be open from February 1 through May 30, 2025. All testing must take place within this window. Any eligible student who is enrolled during the window must be tested. LEAs have discretion to schedule testing according to local preference within this window and do not need to inform the CDE or ETS. However, all STAIRS cases must be submitted one week before May 30 to ensure that cases are approved with adequate time to allow students to complete testing by May 30.

Key Dates

Table 2 lists key dates for the Alternate ELPAC administration.