Appeals Definitions

Appeals Procedure Overview

After a STAIRS case is filed, TOMS will prompt the user with the steps to file an Appeal, if one is required.

The online Appeal types described in this section are as follows:

Additional Information About Filing an Appeal

  1. The Reset Appeal for some testing incidents for the CAASPP is applicable subject to the following test completion limits:
    • The student has not completed at least 10 non-PT questions or at least 1 PT question for all CAASPP computer-based assessments except the CAST.
    • For the CAST, the student has not completed at least 10 questions.
  2. The Reset Appeal for some testing incidents for the Summative ELPAC and the Initial ELPAC is applicable subject to the test completion limits at the respective domain levels. The test completion limits are as follows:
    • A Reset Appeal for the domain is applicable for the Summative ELPAC if the student has completed no more than six questions for the Listening domain, three questions for the Speaking domain, six questions for the Reading domain, and two questions for the Writing domain.
    • A Reset Appeal for the domain is applicable for the Initial ELPAC if the student has completed no more than three questions for the Listening domain, six questions for the Speaking domain, two questions for the Reading domain, and one question for the Writing domain.
  3. For kindergarten through grade two, the LEA must use the STAIRS testing incident type of Data Entry Issue to reset the Initial ELPAC computer-based Writing domain-level assessment that is entered through the DEI.
  4. If the student’s ELAS is updated as IFEP on the basis of the student’s Initial ELPAC results, and if the student was registered for the Summative ELPAC paper–pencil test, the LEA should not return the Answer Book to ETS, since the student is not eligible for the Summative ELPAC.
  5. If the student’s ELAS is updated as IFEP on the basis of the student’s Initial ELPAC or Initial Alternate ELPAC results, a Reset Appeal is required to remove all the Summative ELPAC or Summative Alternate ELPAC TDS and DEI test events that the student started or completed because the student is no longer eligible to take the Summative ELPAC.

Reset

How It Works

A Reset Appeal removes the student’s computer-based test and score from the TDS. The Reset Appeal will also remove any entries entered into the DEI.

Applicable Conditions for a Reset Appeal

1. Administration of test(s) with Incorrect Accessibility Resources

  1. A Success Agent may provide approval to reset a domain or a test if a designated support or accommodation required by a student with an IEP or Section 504 plan was set incorrectly and needs to be changed.
  2. A Reset Appeal may be submitted when a student without an IEP or Section 504 plan received an incorrect designated support for either a translation (translations [Spanish stacked–dual language] or glossary) resource or the streamlined interface. A Reset Appeal for such a scenario is applicable for the CAASPP (except for any CAA).
  3. A Reset Appeal may be submitted for the ELPAC domain-level assessment if a student without an IEP or Section 504 plan received an incorrect designated support that needs to be changed or deleted.
    • The Initial ELPAC domain-level assessment for all except Writing in kindergarten through grade two can be reset if the student has not exceeded the test completion limit at the domain level. Refer to the first item in the Additional Information About Filing an Appeal subsection for information about test completion limits.
  4. The Summative ELPAC domain-level assessment for all except Writing in kindergarten through grade two can be reset if the student has not exceeded the test completion limit at the domain level. Refer to the first item in the Additional Information About Filing an Appeal subsection for information about test completion limits.

2. Incorrect Domain Exemption or Alternate Assessment

  • If the student with an IEP or Section 504 plan did not receive a prescribed domain exemption or an alternate assessment, submit a Reset Appeal. This is applicable for all grade levels, grade spans, and domains of the computer-based Summative ELPAC and the Initial ELPAC, except for the paper-based kindergarten through grade two Writing domain. A nonappealable STAIRS case must be submitted if the same condition involves a student registered for the paper–pencil test.
  • If the student received an incorrect domain exemption for Summative ELPAC or the Initial ELPAC, a nonappealable STAIRS case must be submitted.

3. Administrative Errors

  • A test examiner forgot to score the student’s Speaking responses for the Summative ELPAC or the Initial ELPAC in real time and cannot determine scoring based on the information available.
  • A test examiner incorrectly selected the test session type In Person instead of Remote or Hybrid to administer an Initial ELPAC. A Reset Appeal can be submitted if the student has not exceeded the test completion limit at the domain level. Refer to the first item in the Additional Information About Filing an Appeal subsection for information about test completion limits. Otherwise, a nonappealable STAIRS case must be submitted. Both the scenarios result in an irregularity notation.
  • An incorrect DFA was used to administer the test.

4. Administration of Incorrect Assessment

  • The student is not eligible for the Initial ELPAC or Initial Alternate ELPAC because the student’s original home language survey response was “English Only” and the LEA entered the student’s primary language incorrectly into the student information system. Refer to the final bullet of the first item in the Additional Information About Filing an Appeal subsection for information about irregularity notations.

  • The existing ELAS status does not qualify the student(s) to be tested for a summative assessment.

  • A student was administered a general assessment instead of an alternate assessment in either CAASPP or ELPAC or with an incorrect special education for testing designation listed in TOMS.
  • A student was administered an assessment for the wrongly assessed grade level or grade span for the ELPAC. If an assessment was administered outside the grade level or grade span, an irregularity notation is applied.

  • A student was administered the CAASPP for the wrong assessed grade level or with an incorrect special education for testing designation listed in TOMS.

  • A student was administered a general CAASPP instead of an alternate CAASPP.
  • The summative CAASPP is mistakenly administered instead of the interim assessment or practice test and the student has not reached the completion limit. Refer to the first item in the Additional Information About Filing an Appeal subsection for information about test completion limits.
  • A test administrator or a test examiner provided students with nonallowable materials or devices or a nonprescribed accommodation (that is, one that is not in the student’s IEP or Section 504 plan) during test administration (for example, the student used a non-embedded calculator without an IEP or Section 504 plan). A Reset Appeal is required for all computer-based tests for CAASPP, except for the CAST and the CAAs, if the student completed less than 10 non-PT questions or less than 1 PT question. The CAST would be reset if the student completed less than 10 questions. If a student passed the stated threshold, the STAIRS would lead to an Invalidate Appeal.

5. Audio Failure Due to Technical Issues

  • A student was not able to hear the audio item stimulus completely or heard it partially due to a technical issue for a Listening or Speaking computer-based domain for the Summative ELPAC or the Initial ELPAC and is unable to replay the audio; or the student has not been assigned the pause or replay audio embedded designated support. An irregularity notation is applied. (Refer to the final bullet of the first item in the Additional Information About Filing an Appeal subsection for information about irregularity notations.)

6. Administration with Incorrect Student Information

  • An incorrect SSID was used, but test results will not be switched because the test taken was incomplete; the student with the correct SSID is not eligible to take the assessment; a swap cannot occur in time for a student to finish testing prior to the closure of a testing window; or the SSID of the student who took the test under another student’s SSID is unknown. A Reset Appeal is required to remove the test from the TDS, whether or not the student(s) completed testing. If the test or domain also involves entries in the DEI, the Reset Appeal is applied to the DEI test event.

7. Resets of the DEI Entries

  • A test examiner did not score the student's Speaking responses in real time and cannot determine scoring based on available information. This is applicable for all grade levels and grade spans for the computer-based and paper–pencil tests for the Summative ELPAC and the Initial ELPAC.
  • All item responses were entered incorrectly and the student’s assessment must be reset in the DEI so the student’s responses can be reentered.
  • All of the student’s item scores were required to be reentered into the DEI. This is applicable for the following domain-level assessments:
    • All grade levels and grade spans for the Speaking domain computer-based and paper–pencil tests for the Summative ELPAC and the Initial ELPAC
    • The Writing computer-based domain for kindergarten through grade two for the Initial ELPAC
  • The designated support or accommodation required by a student with an IEP or Section 504 plan was set incorrectly and needs to be changed for kindergarten through grade two for the Initial ELPAC.
  • A student with an IEP or Section 504 plan did not receive a domain exemption or the Initial Alternate ELPAC for kindergarten through grade two for the Initial ELPAC.
  • A correction was required as a result of the RSVP that changed the student’s ELAS. This is applicable to the Initial ELPAC domain-level assessments for kindergarten through grade two.
  • The student who was registered for a paper–pencil test was not eligible for the Initial ELPAC because the student’s original home language survey response was “English Only” and the LEA entered the student’s primary language incorrectly in the student information system.
  • An incorrect SSID was used but test results will not be switched for the paper–pencil test, so a Reset Appeal is required to remove the test from the DEI, whether or not the student(s) completed testing. This applies to the all grade levels and grade spans for the Initial ELPAC and for grades three through twelve for the Summative ELPAC.
  • An incorrect SSID was used but test results will not be switched for the second score entered for a Summative Alternate ELPAC belonging to a different student, so the student’s scores must be reset and all the scores for the correct student must be reentered into the DEI.
  • An Initial ELPAC assessment resulted in a correction to the Summative ELPAC. This is applicable for paper–pencil tests and computer-based tests for all grade levels and grade spans for the Speaking domain and for paper–pencil tests in the DEI for grades three through twelve for the Reading, Writing, and Listening domains.
  • A CAST DEI test event was administered unintentionally instead of a practice or training test and the student has not completed 10 questions.
  • A test administrator provided the student with nonallowable materials or devices or an accommodation not prescribed by the student’s IEP or Section 504 plan, and the student has completed less than 10 questions for the CAST paper–pencil test entered into the DEI.

Reopen

How It Works

Reopening an assessment allows a student to access a test that has already been submitted or has expired.

The Initial ELPAC has an expiration rule of 30 calendar days for all domains. The Summative ELPAC has an expiration rule of 20 calendar days for Speaking and Writing, and 45 days for Listening and Reading from the day the test is accessed by the student for the first time. The Summative ELPAC remains open for 10 calendar days after it is reopened following an expiration. If an expired domain for the Summative ELPAC or the Initial ELPAC is reopened, it will resume at the last unanswered item.

A CAASPP test that is reopened following an expiration will remain open for 10 calendar days from the date it is reopened. If an expired test for the CAASPP is reopened, the test will resume at the last unanswered item. For the CAASPP, the student will be able to review items within the current page of the assessment but cannot return to previous segments of the non-PTs. Only a Grace Period Extension Appeal will allow a student to return to previous pages within the existing segment.

Applicable Conditions for a Reopen Appeal

  1. A Reopen Appeal for the Summative Alternate ELPAC, computer-based CAASPP, all computer-based domains for all grade levels and grade spans (except kindergarten through grade two) for the Initial ELPAC, and the Summative ELPAC must be submitted if the test was accidentally submitted prior to completion.
  2. A Reopen Appeal for the computer-based CAASPP, all computer-based domains for all grade levels and grade spans (except kindergarten through grade two) for the Initial ELPAC, and the Summative ELPAC must be submitted if the test expired before the student could complete the test.
  3. A Success Agent may reopen a CAASPP computer-based assessment that had expired earlier because a summative assessment was administered unintentionally instead of an interim assessment or practice test and the student is ready to complete the assessment now.
  4. A Success Agent may reopen a CAASPP non-PT after it expires (45 calendar days) or may reopen a domain for the Summative ELPAC (45 calendar days for Listening and Reading, and 20 calendar days for Speaking and Writing) and the Initial ELPAC after it expires (30 calendar days) if a student is unable to complete the test because of an unanticipated excused absence or unanticipated school closure or the student unintentionally submitted the test before completing it. The Appeal should be requested when the student is ready to complete testing.
  5. A Reopen Appeal must be submitted if, while entering information from a student’s paper answer booklet into the DEI, an error was made, and selected student responses must be reentered. This is applicable to the paper–pencil tests for the CAASPP, the Reading and Listening domains for all grade levels and grade spans for the Initial ELPAC, and for grades three through twelve for the Summative ELPAC.
  6. A Reopen Appeal must be submitted if, while entering information from a student score sheet into the DEI, an error was made, and selected student’s scores must be reentered. Scores can be reopened for all grade levels and grade spans for a computer-based Speaking domain for the Summative ELPAC and the Initial ELPAC. This is also applicable for the Writing domain for kindergarten through grade two for the Initial ELPAC, for paper–pencil tests for the Speaking and Writing domains for all grade levels and grade spans for the Initial ELPAC, and for grades three through twelve for the Summative ELPAC.

Restore

How It Works

Restoring an assessment returns it from the Reset status to its prior status. This action can only be performed on tests that have been mistakenly reset through a Reset Appeal.

Applicable Conditions for a Restore Appeal

Requests to restore a test that was inadvertently or inappropriately reset because an LEA wrongly requested a Reset Appeal or a student started or completed an assessment with incorrect demographic information which must be corrected for the student to finish testing, must be made by submitting a STAIRS case. To file a Restore Appeal, the LEA ELPAC or LEA CAASPP coordinator must contact a Success Agent to submit a STAIRS case on behalf of the LEA. A Restore Appeal must be approved by the CDE to restore a computer-based or DEI test event.

Requests for a Restore Appeal should be limited to only those cases where a test has been inadvertently or improperly reset as a result of a mistakenly submitted Reset Appeal or when a student’s demographic information is incorrect and needs to be corrected and a student has begun or completed testing.

Grace Period Extension

How It Works

Grace period extensions are for situations where the 20-minute pause rule expired due to circumstances beyond the control of the test administrator or test examiner and students are not able to review previous test questions due to circumstances beyond the control of the test administrator or test examiner. It allows the student to review previously answered test questions within the existing segment.

Applicable Conditions for a Grace Period Extension Appeal

A grace period extension only applies to a CAASPP non-PT and to the Reading and Listening domains for the Summative ELPAC and the Initial ELPAC. There are no pause rules for the ELPAC Speaking and Writing domains or for a CAASPP PT. For paused assessments for the Speaking and Writing domains, as well as for a CAASPP PT, having the test administrator or a test examiner open a new test session may be all that is needed to continue testing.

If a submitted test or a domain assessment is reopened, the test will reopen at the last page with an unanswered question or the submission page (if previously completed). The student cannot review previous items. Only a Grace Period Extension Appeal will allow a student to return to the prior pages of the test.

The CDE may grant a grace period extension for the Reading or Listening domains for the Summative ELPAC or the Initial ELPAC, or for a CAASPP non-PT, in cases where there was a disruption to a test session, such as a technical difficulty, fire drill, schoolwide power outage, earthquake, or other act beyond the control of the test examiner or test administrator that resulted in the expiration of the 20-minute pause rule. However, a grace period extension cannot be granted in situations where the pause rule has expired due to student breaks, such as recess- or lunch-related breaks, that lasted for more than 20 minutes.

The CDE may grant a grace period extension for the computer-based Reading and Listening domains for all grade levels and grade spans for the Initial ELPAC in the event that a student or a test examiner lost the mandatory video connection required during a remote test session.

Rescore (Initial ELPAC Only)

How It Works

A Rescore Appeal is only available for the Initial ELPAC Writing domain for grades three through twelve. A Rescore Appeal allows the test examiner to reenter all the Writing domain scores in the THSS.

Applicable Conditions for a Rescore Appeal

Rescore Appeals are for situations where an error was made while scoring student responses in the THSS. These errors could be due to incorrectly applied rubrics or could be based on the RSVP that changes the ELAS.

Invalidate (CAASPP Only)

How It Works

Invalidated CAASPP summative tests will be scored, and scores will be provided on the SSR with a note that an irregularity occurred. In the calculation of the school’s participation rate, the student(s) will be counted as having participated. A LOSS is applied to an invalidated record for accountability calculations. For the Test Results for California’s Assessments website, the student will be included in the aggregation for number tested only. An invalidated score will not be part of any aggregations on the Test Results for California’s Assessments website.

Applicable Conditions for an Invalidate Appeal

The CDE may invalidate any test (non-PT or PT) if:

  1. A student posted items or test materials on social media.
  2. A student copied, discussed, or otherwise retained test items, stimuli, reading passages, writing prompts, scratch paper, or answers for any reason for the summative CAASPP. This does not include student logon information.
  3. An adult modified student responses or records.
  4. An adult allowed someone other than the student to log on to the test.
  5. An adult provided coaching or some other type of assistance that may affect a student's responses.
  6. Student(s) either accessed the internet or used unauthorized software or applications, or used unauthorized electronic equipment (e.g., a cell phone, tablet, smartwatch, non-embedded calculator, or Bluetooth earbuds) while actively engaged in a test session.
  7. Student(s) used an unauthorized electronic device after completing testing, but the LEA can verify that a device was being used to help other students who were engaged in a test session.
  8. Student(s) cheated or provided answers to each other, including passing notes or giving help to other students, or using a handheld electronic device to exchange information during a test session.
  9. A student deliberately did not attempt to respond appropriately to items.

  10. Applicable for remote test sessions only—If a student completed more than 10 non-PT or 1 PT question. While administering a remote test session, a test administrator or a test examiner incorrectly selected the test session type of In Person instead of Remote or Hybrid.

    Note: For this condition only, the student(s) may be allowed to complete testing prior to the invalidation.

  11. A test administrator or test examiner provided students with nonallowable materials or devices or a nonprescribed accommodation (i.e., not in the student’s IEP or Section 504 plan) during test administration (e.g., a non-embedded calculator used by a student without an IEP or Section 504 plan); an Invalidate Appeal is required for the CAASPP if the following conditions are true:
    • The student completed more than 10 non-PT questions or more than 1 PT question. This is applicable for all computer-based CAASPP assessments, except the CAST.
    • The student completed more than 10 questions for the CAST.

STAIRS Cases That Do Not Result in Any Appeal

How It Works

There are certain testing incidents that do not result in an Appeal. The LEA must submit STAIRS cases to report these testing incidents. The STAIRS case may result in an irregularity notation for ELPAC and can also require a plan of action description to be provided by the LEA as a resolution to avoid or control similar testing incidents in the future. Refer to the final bullet of the first item in the Additional Information About Filing an Appeal subsection for information about irregularity notations.

Applicable Conditions for Nonappealable Testing Incidents

Nonappealable (For All Except the CAASPP Paper–Pencil Test)

One of the following conditions occurred in any test (except for a CAASPP paper–pencil test):

  1. Leaving related instructional materials on the walls in the testing room
  2. Allowing administration and supervision of the assessment to be performed by personnel who are not qualified and trained
  3. Giving incorrect instructions that are not corrected prior to testing
  4. Sharing a username or password (via email or otherwise) with other authorized users

Nonappealable CAASPP STAIRS Incidents—Manual Approval

Testing incidents that require approval by the CDE or a Success Agent but may not need an Appeal are as follows:

  1. A student was accidentally administered a summative assessment instead of an interim or other assessment, and completed it or left it paused with more than 10 non-PT questions answered or more than 1 PT question answered.
  2. A student experienced a technical issue that did not result in the 20-minute pause rule expiring.
  3. An adult posted items or test materials on social media.
  4. An adult copied, discussed, or otherwise retained test items, stimuli, reading passages, writing prompts, scratch paper that was used during testing, or answers for any reason.
  5. Student(s) made distracting gestures or sounds or talked during the test session, creating a disruption in the test session for other students.
  6. Student(s) left the test room without authorization.

Nonappealable ELPAC STAIRS Incidents with an Irregularity Notation—Manual Approval

Testing incidents that require approval by the CDE or a Success Agent but may not need an Appeal and may result in an irregularity notation for the ELPAC are listed next:

  1. A student without an IEP or Section 504 plan received an incorrect designated support and exceeded the prescribed test completion limit at the domain level for the Summative ELPAC and the Initial ELPAC. Refer to the first item in the Additional Information About Filing an Appeal subsection for information about test completion limits.
  2. Administrative errors occurred, such as related instructional materials left on the walls in the testing room; failure to ensure administration and supervision of the assessment(s) by qualified, trained personnel; incorrect instructions given and not corrected prior to testing; or a test examiner or coordinator sharing a username and password occurred for the ELPAC.
  3. Administrative errors occurred, such as the test examiner lost video or chat access with the student during a remote test session and did not pause the Initial ELPAC.
  4. While administering a remote test session, a test examiner incorrectly selected the test session type In Person instead of Remote or Hybrid and the student exceeded the test completion threshold for the Initial ELPAC. Refer to the first item in the Additional Information About Filing an Appeal subsection for information about test completion limits.
  5. A test examiner, test administrator, teacher, or some other person coached or provided some assistance to a student that may affect the student’s responses either during an in-person test session or a remote test session for the Summative ELPAC or for the Initial ELPAC.
  6. A test examiner, test administrator, teacher, or some other person coached or provided some assistance to a student that may affect the student’s responses either during an in-person test session for the Summative Alternate ELPAC or for the Initial Alternate ELPAC.
  7. A test security breach occurred when a parent/guardian or some other person present in the room during a remote test session provided coaching or some other type of assistance that may affect a student’s responses for the Initial ELPAC.
  8. The test examiner provided students with nonallowable materials or devices or a nonprescribed accommodation (that is, one that is not in the student’s IEP or Section 504 plan) during test administration for the Summative ELPAC, the Summative Alternate ELPAC, the Initial ELPAC, or for the Initial Alternate ELPAC.
  9. A test examiner or coordinator modified student responses at any time while administering a test for the Summative ELPAC, the Summative Alternate ELPAC, the Initial ELPAC, or for the Initial Alternate ELPAC.

The CDE may approve a STAIRS case that does not need an Appeal for the ELPAC but would result in an irregularity notation:

  1. A student copied, discussed, or otherwise retained test items, stimuli, reading passages, writing prompts, or answers for any reason.

  2. A student retained scratch paper and had it during the same test in a subsequent test session.
  3. A student cheated or accessed unauthorized devices such as a cell phone, tablet, smartwatch, or Bluetooth earbuds during testing. Student(s) cheated or provided answers to each other, including passing notes and giving help to other students during testing.
  4. A student accessed the internet or used unauthorized software or applications during the student’s testing event.
  5. A student disrupted the test session by making distracting gestures or talking during the test session.
  6. The description of the testing incident is not included in either of the testing incidents available in the STAIRS/Appeals process, and the STAIRS case that the LEA wants to submit requires an irregularity notation. Refer to the final bullet of the first item in the Additional Information About Filing an Appeal subsection for information about irregularity notations.

Nonappealable ELPAC STAIRS Incidents with No Irregularity Notation—Manual Approval

Certain testing incidents in STAIRS for the ELPAC do not result in an Appeal or an irregularity notation; however, a Success Agent approval is needed when a STAIRS case is submitted for the following testing incidents:

  1. A student received a domain exemption or an alternate assessment that was not prescribed by the student’s IEP or Section 504 plan. This is applicable for computer-based and paper–pencil tests for the Summative ELPAC and the Initial ELPAC.
  2. A student registered for a paper–pencil test for the Summative ELPAC or the Initial ELPAC did not receive a domain exemption or an alternate assessment as prescribed by the student’s IEP or Section 504 plan.

A nonappealable STAIRS case for the ELPAC that does not need an irregularity notation may require approval from the CDE in the following instances:

  • The description of the testing incident is not included in either of the testing incident options available in the STAIRS/Appeals process, and the STAIRS case that the LEA wants to submit does not require an irregularity notation. Refer to the final bullet of the first item in the Additional Information About Filing an Appeal subsection for information about irregularity notations.
  • An Appeal submitted earlier had an incorrect irregularity flag that needs to be revoked.