Timeframe for Reporting Summative Results to Families

State regulations require local educational agencies (LEAs) to provide individual Summative English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) or Summative Alternate ELPAC results to parents/guardians within 30 calendar days after the LEA receives them from the testing contractor (California Code of Regulations Title 5 Section11518.15[c]).

Only authorized LEA personnel, the student, and parents/guardians may access the ELPAC results of individual students Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act 34 CFR § 99.7.

If the Summative ELPAC or Summative Alternate ELPAC results are received from the test contractor after the school’s last day of instruction in the school year, the LEA shall notify each student’s parent/guardian of the student’s results within 15 working days of the start of the next school year (5 CCR Section 11518.15).

Title III

LEAs receiving Title III funds are required to inform parents/guardians of

• the reasons for a student’s identification as an English learner (EL) student on the basis of the student’s ELPAC results; and
• the available English language acquisition programs to support instruction (20 U.S.C. Section 6312 of Title I of the Every Student Succeeds Act [ESSA]).

This notification is to occur no later than 30 calendar days after the beginning of the school year or within two weeks of the student’s placement in the specified EL program after the beginning of the school year (5 CCR 11518.15[c]). Parents/guardians of EL students with an individualized education program (IEP) also must be notified as to how the recommended placement will help their child meet the objectives of the IEP (20 U.S.C. Section 6312[e][3][A][vii]).

Although schools have an obligation to serve all EL students, parents/guardians of EL students have a right to decline or opt their children out of a school’s EL program or out of particular EL services within an EL program. If parents/guardians opt their children out of a school’s EL program or specific EL services, the children retain their status as EL students. The school remains obligated to take the affirmative steps required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the appropriate actions required by the Equal Education Opportunity Act of 1974 to provide EL students access to its educational programs (20 U.S.C. sections 1703[f], 6312[e][3][A][viii]).

Resources for Communicating with Parents

Sample parent/guardian notification letters are available on the CDE Identification & Parent Notification Requirements web page.