Missing Information in TOMS

Updated May 8, 2022

Variance in TOMS Demographic Information Between CALPADS and Testing Information

Once a student starts a summative assessment, the testing field is locked. If it is mandatory for the field to be changed for accommodations for the already started assessment, submit a STAIRS case to reset the started test. Accommodations for not-started tests can be selected based on the status in the CALPADS Special Education field.

Test Settings—Accommodations, Designated Supports, and Unlisted Resources

Test settings are sent from TOMS to the TDS every two hours. As long as the appropriate special education indicator and test assignments are in the TDS, a student will have access to those accommodations and designated supports approximately two hours after they are submitted.

Test settings may have disappeared from TOMS for the following reasons:

  • The new CALPADS upload does not have the student marked as “Y” in Special Education. An “N” would cause the removal of all accommodations. Check with the LEA’s CALPADS coordinator to ensure that CALPADS has the correct information before the next processing date.
  • A new test settings upload was completed without all of the current settings. For example, if a student had text-to-speech assigned but the new test settings upload file had that column empty, assignment of the text-to-speech resource would be overridden.

Test Assignments, Remote Testing Video Permissions, Testing Windows, and Exemptions

The test assignments, remote testing video permissions, testing windows, and exemptions updates in TOMS are tied to the processing of the CALPADS file. These updates move to the TDS at the same time as the CALPADS update. Please verify that updates made in TOMS match the time restrictions on the updates to the CALPADS file.

ELAS

CALPADS and ETS are monitoring the CALPADS files for incorrect changes in student ELAS. If you noticed that a student’s ELAS is incorrect in TOMS, ask the LEA’s CALPADS coordinator to confirm that the correct information was posted to CALPADS. If the information was posted correctly to CALPADS but did not post correctly to TOMS, the LEA’s CALPADS coordinator will need to enter a ticket with the CDE CALPADS office. Once the information has been corrected in CALPADS, it will flow to TOMS on the next processing day.

Unable to Change Test Assignments

If a student requires a change to a test assignment—such as needing to take an alternate assessment instead of a general assessment—but TOMS will not allow for the change, first verify whether the student has started an assessment. Once a student has started either a general or alternate assessment, the student is locked in to that assessment type. Take the following steps to change a student’s test assignment:

  1. Verify that the student’s special education status is correct. Update the student’s special education status in CALPADS if it is not.
  2. Enter a STAIRS case to reset any summative test that the student has completed or started.
  3. Change the student’s assessment type.
  4. Allow the student to resume testing with the new assessment type.

Note that the “alt for all” rule means that if the student is assigned to take the Alternate ELPAC operational field test, the student also will be assigned to take the CAAs, if applicable.