The English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) Update, from the California Department of Education (CDE), is a monthly e-mail for K–12 educators, including testing coordinators. The ELPAC, when it becomes operational, will replace the California English Language Development Test (CELDT). Individualized Education Programs and the New Matrix 4 The new Matrix Four displays the universal tools, designated supports, and accommodations (non-embedded) allowed as part of the ELPAC. For students who have an individualized education program (IEP) that identifies the use of accommodations listed in Matrix Four, an addendum is not necessary. For students whose IEP identifies differe...

Entity Profile Update We want to thank all of the Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) that were able to update their entity profile in the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) to include the County-District-School (CDS) number prior to the close of the Administrative window. A total of 1,837 sites now have the added CDS number to help them through the Program Integrity Assurance (PIA) review process.Important Funding Year 2018 Dates and Deadlines The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) announced on December 14, 2017 the E-rate Funding Year 2018-19 application filing window dates.·         The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Form...

In response to this afternoon's CALPADS listserv meme . . . .  Have a great weekend my fellow CALPADIANS.  You've earned it!

Many schools in California are rolling out "one-to-one" computing initiatives, to supplement existing policies of bring your own device (BYOD) programs to advance digital curriculum in K-12. These changes provide amazing educational opportunities for students and staff alike, but introduce new challenges. One of the most pressing is ensuring security while more than doubling the endpoints involved. We believe that intelligence and visibility are powerful, particularly when it comes to cyber-security threats and the defense against them. K-12 schools are particularly vulnerable targets because they have transient and often novice populations. Today's students are digital natives who are very ...

Important Funding Year 2018 Dates and Deadlines The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) announced on December 14, 2017 the E-rate Funding Year 2018-19 application filing window dates. • The administrative Window (used to update Entity Profiles in the E-rate Productivity Center) closes January 10, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. EST.• The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Form 471 window: opens January 11, 2018 at noon EST and closes March 22, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. EST.• The last day to file the FCC Form 470 is February 22, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. EST.  The EPC Administrative Window is Open until January 10 at 11:59 p.m. EST! This is our second reminder encouraging Local Education...

FCC ACTS TO RESTORE INTERNET FREEDOM Reverses Title II Framework, Increases Transparency to Protect Consumers, Spur Investment, Innovation, and Competition -- WASHINGTON, December 14, 2017—The Federal Communications Commission today voted to restore the longstanding, bipartisan light-touch regulatory framework that has fostered rapid Internet growth, openness, and freedom for nearly 20 years. Following detailed legal and economic analysis, as well as extensive examination of comments from consumers and stakeholders, the Commission reversed the FCC's 2015 heavy-handed utility-style regulation of broadband Internet access service, which imposed substantial costs on the entire Internet ecosyste...

E-rate Funding Year 2018 Application Filing Window Opens January 11, 2018 I am pleased to announce the Funding Year (FY) 2018 FCC Form 471 application filing window opens Thursday, January 11, 2018, at 12:00 noon EST and closes on Thursday, March 22, 2018, at 11:59 PM EDT. This filing window is more in keeping with those used in prior funding years. Applicants can begin preparing now for the successful filing of their FY 2018 funding applications by taking the following steps:Step 1 - Install Browser Updates: Google Chrome is the preferred browser for EPC, but no matter which browser you use, be sure the latest version is installed on your computer. Step 2 - Establish Account and U...

Editor's note:  This just came across the CSIS listserv: Dear LEA Representative: We have determined the recent slowdown in CALPADS is due to sheer volume in the last week of the deadline. We were not able to get more LEAs certified earlier and reduce the load on the system prior to the deadline. As of Monday, 12/11/2017 only 50% of the 1,906 LEAs in the state had certified Fall 1. While we work to encourage LEAs to certify throughout the submission window we were unsuccessful to encourage more to complete sooner. So, due to this high volume causing extreme slowness with rendering reports and related screens, and the closure of some number of districts due to fires, the 2017 Fall 1 cert...

Dear LEA Representative: The attached CALPADS Update FLASH #132 provides information about the following topics: · Aligning Guidance Regarding When to Disenroll Truants to Support Practices to Reduce Chronic Absenteeism, Truancy, and Dropoutso When should an LEA disenroll a student who has been enrolled and attending school and then becomes habitually truant and appears to have dropped out?o Statutory steps for addressing truancy; exit optionso Are LEAs responsible for students who are expected to return the following school year, but who do not show up ("no shows")?o When should a student be exited with E400 – OtherOrUnknown?· Changes to CALPADS Field and Code Definitions to Support Guidanc...

Very cool nationwide online map of district boundaries just released:   https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolmap/   Not yet able to download the files that would allow you to import into your SIS, but this looks promising. The U.S. Department of Education tool, School & District Navigator, was developed to provide a geographic presentation of the Common Core of Data's (CCD) public school and public school district datasets.The CCD is a program of the U.S. Department of Educations National Center for Education Statistics that annually collects fiscal and non-fiscal data about all public schools, public school districts and state education agencies in the United States. The data ar...

We can classify a computer network into different types depending on its size and the geographical area it covers. The most common types of computer networks are LAN, MAN, WAN, PAN, etc. What is a Local Area Network (LAN)? LAN is a form of a computer network most known to the general public. It has a limited reach, roughly a bunch of closely situated houses or building. And that's because we typically use the Ethernet technology (IEEE 802.3) to power our local area networks. The ethernet cables we lay across our houses and offices have their practical limitations. Beyond a certain length, the speed gets degraded. The reach of a LAN can be enhanced using repeaters, bridges, etc. Home Area Net...

A new malicious Google Chrome extension steals any data victims enter into any website they visit reports the security team over at Barkly.com. Malicious browser extensions are unfortunately nothing new, but a newly discovered example analyzed by Morphus Labs Chief Research Officer Renato Marinho is a good indication of how advanced and dangerous they're becoming. Appropriately dubbed "Catch-All," this malicious Google Chrome extension captures all the data posted by its victims — including usernames, passwords, etc. — on any website they visit and transmits it into the hands of cyber criminals. Read the entire article at Barkly.com.

E-Rate News Flash E-rate Funding Year 16 (2016–17) Invoicing Deadline Monthly recurring services received between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017 have an invoicing deadline of October 30, 2017. Invoicing is accomplished using one of two methods.      1.  The local education agency (LEA) submits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Form 472, also known as the Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement (BEAR) form, to the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to receive reimbursement, after each invoice is paid in full.     2.   The Service Provider submits FCC Form 474, also known as the Servic...

This is a truly fascinating use of "big data."   Kudos to Daniel Willis over at EdSource for creating a map that highlights where student homelessness is greatest throughout the state.  You can see the map here at this link:  https://edsource.org/2017/california-map-shows-hot-spots-of-homeless-students/588165.  To my memory this is the first time I have seen an actual "heat map" of the geographical locations where student homelessness is more pervasive than other areas.  Hopefully with the LCFF process additional resources will flow to these students and these schools to have a positive impact on their learning and continuity of educational services. &...

2017–18 BACK-TO-SCHOOL LETTER The California Department of Education (CDE) would first like to thank local educational agencies (LEAs) for their dedication and hard work in certifying the 2016–17 End-of- Year (EOY) submissions. LEAs are to be congratulated for meeting the challenge of submitting student absence summary data for the first time and certifying all EOY submissions in August. The CDE also recognizes that the school year has already started and LEAs are busy enrolling students and scheduling them into classes. The CDE has sent Superintendents and Charter School Administrators the annual Back-to-School letter for data collections, and in that letter we emphasize the importance of e...

Operational ELPAC Summative Assessment Administration and Scoring Trainings Begin Next Month! The ELPAC Summative Assessment (SA) Administration and Scoring Trainings will begin on October 24 and continue through December 13. LEA ELPAC Coordinators are responsible for registering participants from their LEA. Coordinators will receive an e-mail the first week of October confirming LEA participants' registration. That e-mail will include a registration code that the Coordinator can use to log on to the registration system at any time this fall and change participants' names as well as add names to the waiting list. Specific registration information is located on the ELPAC Web site, under the "...

 The English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) Update, from the California Department of Education (CDE), is an e-mail for K–12 educators, including testing coordinators that focuses on the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California. When the ELPAC is operational, it will replace the California English Language Development Test (CELDT). The ELPAC Update will be sent once per month beginning March 2017. Please forward this e-mail to any educators in your local educational agency (LEA) who would be interested in or benefit from this information. Operational ELPAC Summative Assessment Administration and Scoring Training: Registration Now Open Thank you fo...

Postponement of Public Release of 2016–17 CAASPP Summary Results  During the preview period of the 2016–17 CAASPP public Web reporting site, some local educational agencies (LEAs) identified a small number of cases in which test results did not appear to aggregate as expected to their district or charter school summaries. The CDE delayed the release of the statewide test results in order to investigate these reported cases.  The issue impacts only the CAASPP public Web reporting site and the research files available from that site for 2016–17. Please be assured that the individual student achievement levels and scale scores that have been reported to your LEA or direct funded ...

Nasa put together a virtual preview of what the eclipse will look like in your area.  Click on your hometown on the map and see a minute-by-minute preview! 

(Editor's Note:  I copied this directly from the PDF file that was distributed on the listserv.  A few folks were having issues with the attachment not coming through, so here is the raw text:) California Department of Education – CALPADS Team and Special Education Division Subject: CASEMIS to CALPADS (C2C) TRANSITION UPDATES END-OF-YEAR (EOY) SUBMISSION CERTIFICATION DEADLINE MOVED TO AUGUST 25, 2017 Per the CALPADS Update Flash #129 that was released on July 21, 2017, the final August 11th EOY certification deadline (the close of the amendment window) for EOY 1, 2, and 3 has been moved to August 25th, in order to accommodate a defect fix. Special Education Local Plan Areas (SELPA...