ELPAC email update, April 17, 2024

Dear LEA ELPAC Coordinator:

The 2024–25 Initial Alternate ELPAC Administration and Scoring Training (AST) will open on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Administration of the Initial Alternate ELPAC is mandatory for LEAs with eligible students. The Initial Alternate ELPAC testing window is July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. To prepare for this test administration, the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) has created virtual training modules available through the Moodle Training Site (Moodle) . Training certification and administration of the Initial Alternate ELPAC is required for all LEAs that have students eligible to take the Initial Alternate ELPAC.

Statewide LEA Certification Requirements

Statewide training is mandatory for LEAs with eligible students. The California Department of Education (CDE) recommends that the LEA certification be completed by August 2, 2024 to ensure that test examiners can be trained prior to the first day of classes. LEAs who will train their own test examiners may complete their certification in one of two ways:

• complete the most recent Summative Alternate ELPAC—LEA Certification course that launched in Moodle in early November 2023 and complete the Initial Alternate ELPAC—LEA Certification course; or
• complete the most recent Summative Alternate ELPAC—LEA Certification course and then verify that one active LEA staff member has previously completed the Initial Alternate ELPAC—LEA Certification course on the AST website .

To verify certification, LEA coordinators, new and experienced, will be expected to log on to the AST website after May 8, 2024, and select the [Initial Alternate ELPAC Training Verification] button. This will provide a current list of staff members within the LEA who have completed the LEA training requirement. If the LEA has current staff on the verified list, the LEA coordinator places a check mark next to the current staff member's name to certify the LEA completion status. After the Moodle training opens, the list will be updated weekly and will include trainee names, dates of completion, and the title of the training completed.

If an LEA has a new ELPAC coordinator or lead trainer who has not been trained, both the Summative Alternate ELPAC—LEA Certification course and the Initial Alternate ELPAC—LEA Certification courses must be completed. New LEA ELPAC coordinators can fulfill their training requirements by accessing the virtual training modules within Moodle .

Alternatively, an LEA who will not train their own test examiners can enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a neighboring LEA that has agreed to train test examiners to administer the Initial Alternate ELPAC or administer test to eligible students if needed. LEAs should send an email to SCOE at elpac@scoe.net to confirm the MOU with the neighboring LEA. The MOU should also confirm the neighboring LEA has completed Initial Alternate ELPAC training.

For more information about the AST requirements, refer to the Alternate ELPAC AST Requirements web document.

View the Moodle Training Site User Guide on the Moodle home page for helpful information on how to access the training and navigate the Moodle site.

Test Examiner Certification

There is a single Alternate ELPAC AST certification course that covers both the Initial Alternate ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC. The Alternate ELPAC—Test Examiner Certification course allows test examiners to administer both assessments until the new certification course's launch in Moodle in early November 2024.

Student Registration Requirements

Prior to registering a student for the Initial Alternate ELPAC, an individualized education program (IEP) team meeting must be convened, and an IEP must be in place for the 2024–‍25 school year specifying that the student meets the requirements and is identified as taking alternate assessments. Any accommodations to statewide testing assigned to the student must be clearly described in the IEP, and the student should have the Initial Alternate ELPAC selected in the Test Operations Management System (TOMS). For additional guidance on IEPs, visit the IEP Module 3 web page.

Ordering Picture Cards

Picture cards are alternate response options and are not used by all students. The Initial Alternate ELPAC and Summative Alternate ELPAC use different picture cards. LEA ELPAC coordinators should work with special education staff to determine how many grade-level or grade-span sets are needed at each site. Note that picture cards may be used by multiple students.

Picture cards for the 2024–25 Initial Alternate ELPAC will be the same as those used for the 2022–23 and 2023–24 Initial Alternate ELPAC administrations. Picture cards can be downloaded as a PDF for LEAs to print from the Secure Materials screen, which is accessed through the [Resources] tab in TOMS, or printed picture cards may be ordered on the AST website starting May 8, 2024. Printed picture cards will be available for shipment beginning in June 2024. The LEA ELPAC coordinator is the only person with access to order picture cards. Questions regarding training and administration of the Initial Alternate ELPAC can be emailed to the SCOE ELPAC Project Team at elpac@scoe.net . Questions regarding Moodle can be emailed to SCOE at moodlesupport@scoe.net.

More information can be found on the Alternate ELPAC AST web page on the ELPAC website.

LEA ELPAC coordinators should direct other questions about the Initial Alternate ELPAC to the LEA's assigned LEA Success Agent . Visit the California Outreach web page for other support options.

Sincerely,

California Outreach Team

ELPAC website

Contact Us: California Outreach web page