Step 2. Administration of the Initial ELPAC or Initial Alternate ELPAC

Administration is a multi-step process to determine a student’s ELAS. LEAs are required to administer the Initial ELPAC or Initial Alternate ELPAC to any newly enrolled student for whom a primary language other than English has been indicated by the HLS and the LEA determines the student is eligible for initial assessment. Once the LEA determines the student is eligible, the student may not be opted out of the administration of the assessment. (5 CCR 11518.5 and 11518.25)

Initial ELPAC

  1. A student has a language other than English as indicated on the HLS.
  2. Their parent/guardian is notified in writing.
  3. The Initial ELPAC is administered following the requirements set forth in the Directions for Administration and ELPAC Online Test Administration Manual.
  4. Their parent/guardian is notified of results, which will be either
    1. EL, resulting in EL services; or
    2. IFEP, resulting in placement in regular instruction.

Initial Alternate ELPAC

  1. The IEP team has determined the student is eligible for alternate assessments.
  2. A student has a language other than English as indicated on the HLS.
  3. Their parent/guardian is notified in writing.
  4. The Initial Alternate ELPAC is administered following the requirements set forth in the Directions for Administration and Alternate ELPAC Online Test Administration Manual.
  5. Their parent/guardian is notified of results, which will be either
    1. EL, resulting in EL services; or
    2. IFEP, resulting in placement in regular instruction.

As noted previously, LEAs must administer an HLS for all students enrolled for the first time in a California public school. If the results of the HLS identify a language other than English, the Initial ELPAC or Initial Alternate ELPAC shall be administered. Parents/guardians must be notified, in writing, that their child will be assessed immediately.

The Initial ELPAC and Initial Alternate ELPAC are administered for the purpose of classifying students, resulting in one of two English language acquisition statuses: IFEP or EL.

Scoring the Initial ELPAC

All four domains must be administered on the Initial ELPAC to produce an overall score and performance level. After a student is administered the Initial ELPAC, LEA staff will use the Data Entry Interface (DEI) and Teacher Hand Scoring System (THSS), found in the Test Operations Management System (TOMS), to enter scores into the system for Speaking and Writing domains.

Speaking

The Speaking domain for all grade levels will be scored locally and in the moment by test examiners (TEs) and entered in the DEI.

Writing

The kindergarten through grade two Writing domain responses in the Answer Book will be scored by trained TEs using the rubrics provided in the Directions for Administration. These scores will then be entered in the DEI.

Students in grades three through twelve will enter their Writing responses directly into the test delivery system. These responses will be locally scored by trained TEs in the THSS.

Listening and Reading

The Listening and Reading domain responses are machine-scored in the test delivery system after a test is submitted.

Scoring the Initial Alternate ELPAC

TEs enter student responses in the moment, during testing. Therefore, once the test is submitted, scores will be calculated to determine a student’s overall score and performance level.

Initial ELPAC and Initial Alternate ELPAC Scores and ELAS Status

Once the scores for all domains are entered, the system will calculate the official Initial ELPAC or Initial Alternate ELPAC score and determine the student’s English Language Acquisition Status (ELAS).

The Initial ELPAC and Initial Alternate ELPAC have three performance level descriptors:

  • Initial fluent English proficient (IFEP)
  • Intermediate EL
  • Novice EL

The table included in the Performance Level Descriptors section, provides full descriptions of these performance levels, including the scale score ranges.

IFEP Classification

In the event of IFEP classification, the student is considered to have met fluent English proficiency, and no further testing is required. An instructional program appropriate for the student is to be implemented providing occasional linguistic support, and not EL programs or services are necessary.

Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities may need occasional linguistic support to enable them to access adapted grade-level content in English as determined appropriate by the IEP team.

If the student struggles to perform in the classroom later in their educational career or if the LEA receives a contradictory score as part of the Rotating Score Validation Process and determines that the student should be classified as an EL student, the LEA can use the contradictory score as part of the evidence to initiate the correction of classification process.

EL Classification

In the event of EL classification, LEAs shall provide appropriate EL programs and services that best meet the needs of the student with input from their parent/ guardian. The student’s progress is then assessed annually with the administration of the Summative ELPAC or Summative Alternate ELPAC until they are reclassified (5 CCR Section 11518.15). For more information about determining programs and services, refer to the Determining Program Services for EL Students section.

A parent/guardian or a certificated employee of the LEA may request a correction of classification prior to the administration of the Summative ELPAC or Summative Alternate ELPAC. Refer to the Correction of Classification Errors section.

Correction of Classification Errors

LEAs have the ability to upload corrections to classifications in CALPADS in response to errors based on parents’/guardians’ responses to the HLS, the administration of the ELPAC to ineligible students, or additional evidence collected by the LEA to support corrections of classifications (California Code of Regulations, Title 5 (5 CCR), Section 11518.20).

The three categories in which a correction process may take place are known as Correction Process A, Correction Process B, and Correction Process C, each of which addresses a particular scenario. In addition to the three categories, the regulations describe the evidence that must be collected in Section D, while Section E provides guidance on the student's ELAS during the correction process.

Correction Process A

This section provides information about the regulation of, and LEA actions required in, Correction Process A.

Regulation

If a student is classified as English only (EO) but the LEA has an indication that the student’s primary or native language is not English and the student is unable to perform ordinary classroom work in English, the LEA may collect and review evidence to determine whether the student shall be administered the Initial ELPAC or Initial Alternate ELPAC in order to determine if the student’s original ELAS classification is correct.

Timeframe

At least 10 calendar days prior to administration of the Initial ELPAC and Initial Alternate ELPAC, the LEA shall notify the student’s parent/guardian, in writing, that the student will be assessed. If the test is administered and the student does not meet the criterion for proficiency, the LEA shall classify the student as an EL student. The LEA shall notify the student’s parent/guardian, in writing, of the results of the assessment, including the evidence that led to the determination and the results of the Initial ELPAC or Initial Alternate ELPAC, within 14 calendar days of its determination.

LEA Action

Under Correction Process A, the LEA can change a student’s ELAS from EO to “to be determined” (TBD), which will then allow the LEA to administer the Initial ELPAC or Initial Alternate ELPAC. Based on the results of the assessment, their ELAS status would change to EL or IFEP.

CALPADS Code

Correction Process A is also known as the CALPADS correction code 1 (Evidence of Non-English Primary Language).

Correction Process B

This section provides information about the regulation of, and LEA actions required in, Correction Process B.

Regulation

If an LEA administers the Initial ELPAC, Initial Alternate ELPAC, Summative ELPAC, or Summative Alternate ELPAC to a student who is not eligible for the assessment based on evidence collected, the student’s classification shall remain unchanged regardless of the assessment results, and the LEA shall not maintain any such results as student records, including in CALPADS.

Timeframe

The student’s parent/guardian or a certificated employee of the LEA may request this correction. Based on the evidence collected and reviewed, the LEA shall determine whether the student’s classification should remain unchanged or be changed. The LEA shall notify the student’s parent /guardian, in writing, of the results within 14 calendar days of its determination.

LEA Action

Classification errors due to administration errors in the reporting of a student’s primary language in the student information system can occur after the administration of the Initial ELPAC, Initial Alternate ELPAC, Summative ELPAC, or Summative Alternate ELPAC.

For example, if a student’s HLS indicated EO but the LEA incorrectly entered a language other than English and subsequently assessed the student on the Initial ELPAC, Initial Alternate ELPAC, Summative ELPAC, or Summative Alternate ELPAC.

CALPADS Code

This correction is also known as the CALPADS correction code 4 (Ineligible Student Tested).

Started or Completed Assessments

For students who have started or completed the Initial ELPAC, Initial Alternate ELPAC, Summative ELPAC, or Summative Alternate ELPAC within the testing window, the LEA ELPAC coordinator will need to file a Security and Test Administration Incident Reporting System (STAIRS) case to remove the results.

For students where the correction is submitted outside of the testing window, previous Initial ELPAC, Initial Alternate ELPAC, Summative ELPAC, or Summative Alternate ELPAC results will remain on the publicly reported websites:

Correction Process C

This section provides information about the regulation of, and LEA actions required in, Correction Process C.

Regulation

Following the administration of the initial assessment to a student, but before the administration of the summative assessment to that student, upon request from the student’s parent/guardian or a certificated employee of the LEA, an LEA shall collect and review evidence, as described in Section D, about the student’s ELP.

Timeframe

Based upon its review of the evidence, the LEA shall determine whether the student’s classification should remain unchanged or be changed. The LEA shall notify the student’s parent/guardian, in writing, of the results of the review within 14 calendar days of its determination.

This review shall occur only once over the course of the student’s enrollment in the California public school system.

LEA Action

LEAs should refer to Section D (below) for information on what type of evidence can be considered for this correction. Correction Process C can be used in changing the ELAS from EL to IFEP or from IFEP to EL.

CALPADS Code

This correction is also known as the CALPADS correction code 5 (Evidence for EL or IFEP).

  • For students who were timid during the Initial ELPAC or Initial Alternate ELPAC administration and are classified as EL students, but further evidence is collected that demonstrates the students’ ability to listen, speak, read, and write in English in the classroom, this correction may be used. This correction of classification process must be completed before the administration of the Summative ELPAC or Summative Alternate ELPAC. Students’ records of Initial ELPAC or Initial Alternate ELPAC scores will be maintained in TOMS and the ELAS will be corrected as IFEP in CALPADS. Scores will also be included in end of year reporting.
    • For students who participated in the Rotating Score Validation Process (RSVP) and whose comparison results indicate a change in ELAS, LEAs may use this correction along with other local measures to support the change in classification.

Section D

Evidence about the ELP of a student for purposes of corrections shall include

  • results of the HLS;
  • results of the assessment of the student’s proficiency in English using an objective assessment instrument including, but not limited to, the Initial ELPAC or Initial Alternate ELPAC;
  • parent/guardian opinion and consultation results; and
  • evidence of the student’s performance in the LEA’s adopted course of study and the student's ELD, as applicable, obtained from the student’s classroom teacher and certificated staff with direct responsibility for teacher or placement decisions.

Section E

During the time evidence is being collected and reviewed, the student shall retain their original classification.