Test Design and Administration Guidelines

The Summative Alternate ELPAC is a computer-based, linear (nonadaptive) assessment for students in kindergarten through grade twelve who are ELs with the most significant cognitive disabilities. 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 Summative 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 Summative Alternate ELPAC is designed for one-on-one administration. A student may respond

• by 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 based upon the student’s IEP and following the ELPAC Accessibility Resources for Operational Testing 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 Summative 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 Summative 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 administration in the DEI or enter scores into the DEI during the time of testing.

The computer-based Summative 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 Summative Alternate ELPAC is provided in the Preparing for the Administration subsection of this document.

PFAs

The PFA is a nonsecure document that contains information and instructions for preparing to administer the Summative Alternate ELPAC. The coordinators and TEs should review the PFA in advance of testing to become familiar with testing guidelines for the Summative Alternate ELPAC, including information for before, during, and after testing. Guidance is also provided on pause and expiration rules, pausing and ending the test, seating arrangements, and more. There is one PFA for K–2 and one for grades three through twelve. The PFAs are posted on the Manuals and Instructions web page on the ELPAC website and in the Moodle Training Site.

DFAs

The DFAs for the Summative Alternate ELPAC include test-day instructions and must be used by the ELPAC TE to administer tests 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 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 2023–24 DFA cover for a grade one test form.

Figure 1. Summative Alternate ELPAC 2023–24 DFA forms for grade one

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 Forms Assignments for the 2023–24 Summative Alternate ELPAC Test Administration 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.

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.

Individualization

When preparing to administer the Summative 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 the manipulatives, objects, or picture cards and not the testing screen.

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. Results from the second scoring are used by ETS to conduct interrater reliability analysis on rubric-scored items. The second scores, which are collected through the DEI, are not used for official scoring purposes. A student’s completion status and test results are reported whether or not the second scoring occurs.

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, and nine through twelve. Approximately eight items in each test will require TEs to score a student’s live response during the time of testing using a rubric provided in the DFA. Schools selected to second score will require a qualified secondary TE to be present at the time of testing to observe the student’s response.

Refer to the Second Scoring TE subtopic for qualifications and responsibilities of the second scorer.

Second Scoring Process

Who Participates in Second Scoring?

Every year, a subset of schools will be required to participate in second scoring. Prior to testing, LEA ELPAC coordinators and site ELPAC coordinators should check the Second Scoring Assignments for the 2023–24 Summative Alternate ELPAC Test Administration web page on the ELPAC website to determine whether they are selected. Summative Alternate ELPAC second scoring assignments are posted in November 2023. If selected, all Alternate ELPAC tests for students within the selected schools must be second scored.

What Is Second Scoring?

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.

Second Scoring Test Administration

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.

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 that are entered on the scoring sheet must then be entered into the DEI after the student’s test 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.

Refer to the following additional resources on the second scoring process:

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

Second Scoring Status Report in TOMS

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 variables:

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

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 Using STAIRS topic for the steps to report a testing incident.

Test Scheduling

Testing Window and Test Times

The Summative Alternate ELPAC testing window will be open from February 1 through May 31, 2024. 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 31 to ensure that cases are approved with adequate time to allow students to complete testing by May 31.

Key Dates

Table 2 lists key dates for the Summative Alternate ELPAC administration.