A Note about Accessibility Resources

The use of universal tools, designated supports, or accommodations does not change the way scores are reported.

The CDE California Assessment Accessibility Resources Matrix lists the available CAASPP and ELPAC accessibility resources and the assessment(s) for which their use is approved. The five parts of the Matrix are as follows:

  1. Part 1—Universal tools
  2. Part 2—Designated supports
  3. Part 3—Accommodations
  4. Part 4—Instructional supports and resources for the alternate assessments
  5. Part 5—Unlisted resources

Universal tools are available to all students; designated supports are available to students by teacher recommendation (with parent/guardian and student input, as appropriate). Accommodations are available to students with a documented need in the student’s IEP or Section 504 plan.

One-on-one test administration for the CAAs allow for the test examiner to provide any instructional support, identified in students’ IEPs, needed by the student to access the test items and tasks.

Accessibility resources for summative assessments are assigned in TOMS. LEA CAASPP coordinators and CAASPP test site coordinators can download the Student Test Settings Report of all assigned student accessibility resources through TOMS.

For more information about accessibility resources used during testing, refer to the CAASPP and ELPAC Accessibility Guide.

Embedded

Embedded universal tools, designated supports, and accommodations are digital accessibility resources that are available in the computer-based summative assessments and do not change the construct being measured. For example, the use of a digital notepad during any computer-based assessment does not change what is being measured.

Non-embedded

Non-embedded universal tools, designated supports, and accommodations are offered outside the computer-based test delivery system and do not change the construct being measured. For example, the use of scratch paper during any computer-based assessment does not change what is being measured.

Instructional Supports and Resources for the Alternate Assessments

Most universal tools, designated supports, and accommodations listed in the California Assessment Accessibility Resources Matrix are available through the test delivery system and available to students taking the CAAs. However, because the alternate assessment is administered to students one-on-one by a test examiner and because they may also be administered in the language of instruction, some embedded and non-embedded resources will not be available for the CAAs. For the CAA for Science, any instructional physical supports used in daily instruction may be used for the embedded performance tasks.

Unlisted Resources

“Unlisted resources” are non-embedded accessibility resources, identified in the student’s IEP or Section 504 plan, that a student regularly uses in daily instruction and that has not been previously identified as a universal tool, designated support, or accommodation in parts 1, 2, or 3 of the California Assessment Accessibility Resources Matrix. Unlisted resources may fundamentally change what is being measured on the assessment.

Part 5 of the Accessibility Matrix includes a list of pre-identified non-embedded, unlisted resources for ELA, mathematics, science, primary language assessments, and the ELPAC that change the construct being measured. There are no pre-identified, non-embedded resources for any alternate assessment. An LEA CAASPP coordinator or CAASPP test site coordinator would use TOMS to submit a request for use of an unlisted resource. A request for an unlisted resource that is not preidentified is sent to the CDE for review and adjudication.

If the CDE determines the unlisted resource changes the construct being measured—for example, if a student in grade four uses a non-embedded calculator—the unlisted resource may be approved and used by the student. The student will receive an SSR with the score, but the student’s score will not be considered valid for public reporting aggregations, and the student will not be counted as participating in statewide testing, which will impact the accountability participation rate indicator for the LEA (5 CCR, Section 854.9[d][1]).