Introduction to the 2026–27 ELPAC Information Guide

Welcome to the 2026–27 ELPAC Information Guide. This guide is designed to provide local educational agencies, schools, educators, and families with information to help them do the following:

• Understand the differences between
  • the Initial English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) and the Initial Alternate ELPAC; and
  • the Summative ELPAC and the Summative Alternate ELPAC
• Understand the initial identification, classification, and reclassification processes for English learner students
• Prepare teachers to understand and use their students’ ELPAC results
• Communicate ELPAC results to parents/guardians

What Is New for 2026–27

Here is what is new this year:

• Minor changes were made to dates and spelling out of abbreviations throughout the guide.
• Updated estimated testing times for Initial and Summative ELPAC.
• Provided clarification on changing the Home Language Survey before testing and correcting the English Language Acquisition Status (ELAS) after testing for initial identification.
• Provided guiding questions to support accessibility resource considerations by domain in a new sub-section called Considerations for Individual Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan Team Discussion.
• Revised the ELPAC Domain Exemption Decision Making—Tool to include justifications and rationales for each exemption and updated the link.
• Added new section to support students who have Speech and Language Sound Considerations in the Assessing Students with Disabilities for English language proficiency chapter.
• Added a new section on when summative results may be used for reclassification; however, this new information will not address any changes proposed by Assembly Bill 2555. There will be more updates as information on this bill becomes available.
• Added information to the Summative Alternate ELPAC Participation sub-section regarding when the lowest obtainable scale score is applied to results to be consistent with the Summative ELPAC Participation sub-section.
• Provided clarification on the timeframe for release of all ELPAC results to parents/guardians. In addition, added information on what should be kept electronically or printed for a student's cumulative folder in the Reporting and Using Individual Results chapter, under Timeframe for Reporting Summative Results to Families sub-section.
• Added new definitions in the Appendices.

2026–27 Planned Testing

The 2026–27 testing windows for the ELPAC are provided in Table 1.

The guidance in this document does not constitute legal advice and is not binding. If local educational agencies (LEAs) have questions about the implications on specific laws within this document on local programs or specific circumstances, the California Department of Education encourages LEAs to seek local counsel.