CAASPP and ELPAC -- Systems Resume

Dear LEA CAASPP or LEA ELPAC Coordinator:

Welcome to the 2019–20 school year! CAASPP and ELPAC systems have resumed operation after they were updated to support 2019–20 CAASPP and ELPAC testing.

New Test Operations Management System (TOMS) Interface

• Both the CAASPP and ELPAC TOMS have transitioned to a new combined TOMS interface. Enhancements and new functionality can be previewed on the System Enhancements web page. Share this information with your site staff to introduce them to the new interface.
• One notable change is with the credentialing functionality for electronic Student Score Reports (SSRs). It has been updated so that credentials only need to be generated once for the 2019–20 year and do not need to be renewed until the following administration. This change was made to eliminate the need for LEA CAASPP and ELPAC coordinators to provide their credentials to parent or student portal vendors multiple times throughout the year.
  
  

Single Sign On for California Assessment Systems

• The single sign on for various California assessment systems is now available! Assessment system users will be able to use a single username and password across multiple assessment systems, now including the Interim Assessment Reporting System (California Educator Reporting System) and the Digital Library. More information on which California Assessment Systems are being integrated can be viewed on the System Enhancements web page. Once logged into TOMS, users will be able to select the links tab to toggle between the systems.
  
  

California Alternate Assessment (CAA) for Science is Available!

• The CAA for Science embedded performance tasks (PTs) will be available on September 10, 2019. LEA CAASPP coordinators should begin adding test examiners as TOMS users that will administer the CAA for Science. Encourage test examiners to take advantage of the flexibility on this assessment and administer the embedded PTs throughout the instructional year. These PTs can be administered at any time and in any order. For more information, view the CAA for Science Administration Planning Guides on the CAASPP Portal. Since the Administration Planning Guides are version specific, view the CAA for Science Version Assignments for 2019–20 Test Administration.

• The CAA for Science has an updated training performance task and new practice tests for students and teachers to explore. Be sure test examiners are aware of these resources so they can begin preparing students for the assessment.

• For a demonstration on how to add users, view the Adding Users One-by-One video or Adding Users by Batch File Upload video.
  
  

Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments

• Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments have been updated to more closely align with the summative assessments and are now available to educators with TOMS user roles that provide access for administration of interim assessments. Please see the Interim Assessment Overview document for information about new enhancements released this past summer, which includes the addition of focused Interim Assessment Blocks, Grade 9 and 10 Interim Comprehensive Assessments (ICAs) and the new educator Sandbox training tool.
• Users can access the updated hand scoring materials through the CAASPP Portal and blueprints for all interim assessments on the CDE Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments webpage.
• The 2019–20 Smarter Balanced Interim Assessments are available as planned, with the exception of those listed below:
  • The focused IABs for "Write and Revise Narratives" in grades three through six and grade eight will be available on September 16, 2019.
  • The ICAs for grades nine and ten will be available, as planned, on September 16.
• 2019–20 test results in the Interim Assessment Reporting System (California Educator Reporting System) will be delayed until September 6, 2019. The ability administer interim assessment test will not be impacted.
  
  

Computer-Based ELPAC Field Test

• LEAs that are participating in the October 2019 Computer-Based ELPAC Field Test should add test examiners as TOMS users and confirm that their eligible students are registered for the field test and LEAs can add walk-in registrations as necessary. For a demonstration on how to add users, view the Adding Users One-by-One video or Adding Users by Batch File Upload video.

Computer–Based ELPAC Training Test

• In preparation for the computer-based Summative ELPAC, online training tests by grade and grade span are now available for test examiners to begin preparing students to take the computer-based Summative ELPAC. Test examiners can access this training tests from ELPAC.org by selecting the "Practice & Training Tests" button.
  
  

TOMS Records for Students with Disabilities

• Beginning September 10, 2019, in order to indicate a student as a student with disabilities (SWD), LEAs must submit a special education record for that student on the Special Education (SPED) file to the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) from their Special Education Data System (SEDS) system, which will also include the student's primary disability. Between September 3, 2019 and September 10, 2019, LEAs will not be able to register SWDs for the CAA for Science, nor will they be able to assign accommodations. Once the CALPADS begins accepting SWD data on September 10, 2019, LEAs will be able to submit SPED records to CALPADS and assign students to the CAA for Science if the SEDS has implemented the required functionality.
  
  

California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) Updates

• As in previous years, ETS suspended the CALPADS updates in TOMS for CAASPP at the end of the statewide testing window on July 15, 2019, which also suspended the feature that permitted test results—electronic Student Score Reports and results in the Online Reporting System (ORS)—to follow a student to a current LEA. This release includes the latest CALPADS data in TOMS, which will then allow test results for new students to appear in the LEA's student information system or parent or student portal, as well as in the ORS.
  
  

As a reminder, please make sure that you update your CALPADS student demographic data early and often for the upcoming 2019–20 CAASPP and ELPAC administrations. Student demographic data in TOMS is read-only; you must access CALPADS to manage and edit student demographic data.

Questions regarding the 2019–20 CAASPP and ELPAC administrations should be directed to the California Technical Assistance Center by phone at 800-955-2954 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..