Scale Score Ranges

Overview About Scale Score Ranges

For the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC), scale scores are derived from raw scores.

Raw scores (the number of test questions answered correctly) are not directly comparable from administration to administration because each raw score is based on a set of items that may differ in difficulty. Instead, student performance, for example, on the Summative ELPAC is reported in terms of scale scores that express student proficiency in terms of a constant metric. Thus, a scale score of 1350 in one language skill area in one administration represents the same level of proficiency as 1350 in the same language skill area in another administration, even though each scale score may represent a different raw score.

A threshold score, or cut point, is the scale score needed for a student to reach a specified performance level. The Initial ELPAC, Initial Alternate ELPAC, Summative ELPAC, and Summative Alternate ELPAC are each separate assessments, based on separate scales; therefore, the scale scores cannot be compared between the Initial and Summative assessments. Additionally, the alternate assessments are based on alternate standards, and comparing these across assessments is not advised.

LEA staff can access student ELPAC results—except for the Initial ELPAC and Initial Alternate ELPAC—in the California Educator Reporting System (CERS).

Initial ELPAC Overall Scale Score Ranges

In May 2018, the California State Board of Education (SBE) approved the State Superintendent of Public Instruction's proposed overall threshold scale score changes, beginning with the 2018–19 Initial ELPAC.

Weighting

The scale score for determining the overall performance level on the Initial ELPAC for individual and group results were approved by the SBE and are as follows:

Kindergarten (K)—90 percent Oral Language (Listening and Speaking) and 10 percent Written Language (Reading and Writing)
Grade one—70 percent Oral Language (Listening and Speaking) and 30 percent Written Language (Reading and Writing)
Grades two through twelve—50 percent Oral Language (Listening and Speaking) and 50 percent Written Language (Reading and Writing)

Overall Scale Score Ranges

The overall scale score ranges for the Initial ELPAC are presented in table 1 below.

**Table 1. Initial ELPAC Overall Score Ranges**
Grade Span	Novice EL	Intermediate EL	IFEP
K–12	150–369	370–449	450–600

Summative ELPAC Overall Scale Score Ranges

In November 2018, the SBE approved the State Superintendent of Public Instruction's proposed overall and composite threshold scale score changes, beginning with the 2018–19 Summative ELPAC.

Weighting

The percentages for determining the overall performance level on the Summative ELPAC for individual and group results were approved by the SBE and are as follows:

Kindergarten—70 percent Oral Language (Listening and Speaking) and 30 percent Written Language (Reading and Writing)
Grades one through twelve—50 percent Oral Language (Listening and Speaking) and 50 percent Written Language (Reading and Writing)

Overall Scale Score Ranges

The overall scale score ranges for the Summative ELPAC are presented in table 2, below.

**Table 2. Summative ELPAC Overall Scale Score Ranges**
Grade Level or Grade Span	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
K	1150–1373	1374–1421	1422–1473	1474–1700
Grade One	1150–1410	1411–1454	1455–1506	1507–1700
Grade Two	1150–1423	1424–1470	1471–1531	1532–1700
Grade Three	1150–1447	1448–1487	1488–1534	1535–1800
Grade Four	1150–1458	1459–1498	1499–1548	1549–1800
Grade Five	1150–1466	1467–1513	1514–1559	1560–1800
Grade Six	1150–1474	1475–1516	1517–1566	1567–1900
Grade Seven	1150–1480	1481–1526	1527–1575	1576–1900
Grade Eight	1150–1485	1486–1533	1534–1589	1590–1900
Grades Nine and Ten	1150–1492	1493–1544	1545–1605	1606–1950
Grades Eleven and Twelve	1150–1499	1500–1554	1555–1614	1615–1950

Composite Scale Score Ranges

The Overall score on the Summative ELPAC consists of the student’s Oral Language score and Written Language score.

The Oral Language score consists of the student’s scores from the Listening and Speaking domains.

The Written Language score consists of the student’s scores from the Reading and Writing domains.

The weighting of the Oral and Written Language scores is based on the student’s grade level. Refer to tables 3 and 4 below.

**Table 3. Summative ELPAC Oral Language Scale Score Ranges**
Grade Level or Grade Span	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
K	1150–1385	1386–1426	1422–1477	1478–1700
Grade One	1150–1407	1408–1450	1451–1492	1493–1700
Grade Two	1150–1413	1414–1459	1460–1509	1510–1700
Grade Three	1150–1334	1435–1465	1466–1511	1512–1800
Grade Four	1150–1438	1439–1471	1472–1521	1522–1800
Grade Five	1150–1446	1474–1476	1477–1532	1533–1800
Grade Six	1150–1449	1450–1483	1484–1541	1542–1900
Grade Seven	1150–1455	1456–1497	1498–1553	1554–1900
Grade Eight	1150–1460	1461–1504	1505–1568	1569–1900
Grades Nine and Ten	1150–1464	1465–1511	1512–1578	1579–1950
Grades Eleven and Twelve	1150–1469	1470–1513	1514–1582	1583–1950

**Table 4. Summative ELPAC Written Language Scale Score Ranges**
Grade Level or Grade Span	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
K	1150–1345	1346–1409	1410–1462	1463–1700
Grade One	1150–1413	1414–1458	1459–1519	1520–1700
Grade Two	1150–1432	1433–1480	1481–1553	1554–1700
Grade Three	1150–1460	1461–1508	1509–1556	1557–1800
Grade Four	1150–1477	1478–1524	1525–1574	1575–1800
Grade Five	1150–1486	1487–1549	1550–1586	1587–1800
Grade Six	1150–1498	1499–1549	1550–1591	1592–1900
Grade Seven	1150–1504	1505–1555	1556–1597	1598–1900
Grade Eight	1150–1509	1510–1561	1562–1609	1610–1900
Grades Nine and Ten	1150–1519	1520–1577	1578–1631	1632–1950
Grades Eleven and Twelve	1150–1528	1529–1594	1595–1645	1646–1950

Alternate ELPAC Overall Scale Score Ranges

The Initial Alternate and Summative Alternate ELPAC overall threshold scores were approved by the SBE in May 2022. The following scale score ranges were produced based on these scores for reporting purposes.

**Table 5. Initial Alternate ELPAC Overall Scale Score Ranges**
Grade Span	Level 1 Novice EL	Level 2 Intermediate EL	Level 3 Fluent English Proficient
K–12	101–143	144–159	160–199

**Table 6. Summative Alternate ELPAC Overall Scale Score Ranges**
Grade Level or Grade Span	Level 1 Novice EL	Level 2 Intermediate EL	Level 3 Fluent English Proficient
K	201–243	244–259	260–299
Grade One	301–343	344–359	360–399
Grade Two	401–443	444–459	460–499
Grades Three Through Five	501–543	544–559	560–599
Grades Six Through Eight	601–643	644–659	660–699
Grades Nine and Ten	701–743	744–759	760–799
Grades Eleven and Twelve	801–843	844–859	860–899