Initial Alternate ELPAC Student Eligibility and Assessment Participation

Participation Requirements

All students in kindergarten through grade twelve, through age twenty-one, whose primary language is a language other than English, as indicated on their HLS, and whose IEP has indicated the use of alternate assessments must take the Initial Alternate ELPAC to determine whether they are EL students. Per ELPAC regulations, this must be done within 30 calendar days after they are first enrolled in a California public school or 60 calendar days prior to instruction, but not before July 1.

To be counted as having participated and to receive an SSR, each student must respond to one receptive item and one expressive item using the response options provided, or by the TE's indicating “Mark as No Response” in the context menu. Details on the use of the “Mark as No Response” feature are included in the Using the Mark as No Response Feature subsection of this manual. The DFA also includes additional information on the “Mark as No Response” feature along with additional information on the participation rules and how to distinguish the expressive and receptive items during testing. The TE may use the Response Options for Alternate Assessments flyer for more information.

The following are the eligibility guidelines on the CDE Alternate Assessment IEP Team Guidance web page that IEP teams should follow in determining whether a student should take an alternate assessment:

  1. The student has a significant cognitive disability. Review of the student’s school records indicates a disability or multiple disabilities that significantly impact intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior essential for someone to live independently and to function safely in daily life. Having a significant cognitive disability is not determined by an IQ test score; rather, a holistic understanding of a student is required.

  2. The student is learning content derived from the CA CCSS or the CA NGSS or is acquiring proficiency as identified in the 2012 ELD Standards. Goals and instruction listed in the IEP for the student are linked to the grade-level CA CCSS, CA NGSS, or 2012 ELD Standards and address knowledge and skills that are appropriate and set high expectations for this student.

    The student’s disability or multiple disabilities affect how instruction is presented and how the student accesses curriculum derived from the CA CCSS, CA NGSS, or 2012 ELD Standards. The content the student is learning is derived from the CA CCSS, CA NGSS, or 2012 ELD Standards, and appropriately breaks the standards into smaller achievable steps.

  3. The student needs extensive, direct individualized instruction and substantial supports to achieve measurable gains in the grade-level and age-appropriate curriculum, including the following:
    • Instruction and support that are not of a temporary or transient nature
    • Substantially adapted materials and individualized methods of accessing information in alternative ways to acquire, maintain, generalize, demonstrate, and transfer skills across multiple settings

    IEP information, including:

    • Present levels of academic achievement and functional performance, goals, and short-term objectives
    • Circumstances of a student with individualized and substantial communication needs or modes (from multiple data sources)
    • Circumstances of a student who may be learning English as a second or other language (i.e., an EL), which may interfere with an accurate assessment of the student’s academic, social, or adaptive abilities

Accessibility Resources

The computer-based platform of the ELPAC has provided a variety of innovative universal tools that are embedded in the TDS, as well as designated supports and accommodations to support all students, including those with special assessment needs. For more information about these accessibility resources, and to assist ELPAC users in implementing them, the following resources are available:

In addition, unlisted resources, which are non-embedded supports that may be provided if specified in an eligible student’s IEP or Section 504 plan, can be requested. Use will be granted only upon approval by the CDE. However, if the unlisted resource changes the construct of the test, the student will be given the lowest attainable score (LOSS).

Requests for unlisted resources may be submitted in TOMS via the [Students] navigation tab, [View & Edit] action tab, View & Edit Students screen, and then the [Unlisted Resources] tab.

Finally, additional accessibility resources such as Guidance on Using Eye Gaze as an Alternate Response Option, CAASPP and ELPAC Accessibility Guide, optional individualization (additional information provided in the DFA), AAC devices, and picture cards are available. LEAs can also refer to the CDE ELPAC web page for more information.