Assessment Spotlight Issue #61

Focusing on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System and English Language Proficiency Assessments of California (ELPAC) and including, when timely, updates on California's other statewide assessments.

Single Sign-on for CAASPP and ELPAC Online Components!

All CAASPP and ELPAC systems for the 2019-20 school year became available to California local educational agencies (LEAs) on September 3! We are happy to announce that, by using a single username and password, LEA staff can now access all CAASPP and ELPAC online systems:

• Test Operations Management System (TOMS)
  
• Test Administrator Interface
  
• Interim Assessment Viewing System
  
• Interim Assessment Hand Scoring System
  
• Interim Assessment Reporting System (California Educator Reporting System)
  
• Online Reporting System
  
• Completion Status and Roster Management
  
• Digital Library
  
• Data Entry Interface
  
• Practice and training tests
  
  

A single sign-on flyer is available that illustrates the single sign-on process and systems. This flyer also can be accessed through the CAASPP Portal System Enhancements web page.

Once LEA staff have logged on to TOMS, they can toggle between the systems to which they have access by selecting the tab labeled Links. Note that LEA staff who are assigned any role in TOMS will automatically be provided with access to the Smarter Balanced Digital Library of formative assessment resources.

Coming on September 17: Webinar for New LEA Coordinators

Have you been in your role as an LEA CAASPP or ELPAC coordinator for less than 12 months? We have a webinar designed especially for you: the New Coordinator September Webex. This will be the second of a five-part webinar training series that will take place on Tuesday, September 17, at 2 p.m. This webinar will cover the coordinator tasks for this time frame and will include a Q&A session.

Register online today for September's webinar, which will be archived on the CAASPP Portal for those unable to attend.

Updated Science Test Administration for' High School Students Flyer

The updated flyer  Science Test Administration for High School Students, reflecting the recent changes made to high school science test registration, is now available! This resource assists LEAs in determining whom to test in high school and presents information for planning the administration of the high school California Science Test or the California Alternate Assessment (CAA) for Science, including the recommended high school grades in which to test students (i.e., in grade ten, eleven, or twelve). Be sure to check out this flyer to prepare for the various high school science testing scenarios you may encounter this school year!

2019-20 CAA Test Examiner Tutorial Now Available for CAA for Science

The 2019-20 CAA Test Examiner Tutorial is now available! After opening this link, select CAA for Science as the content area. This tutorial includes important information test examiners need for administering the first operational CAA for Science. Included are:

• An introduction to the test
  
• The purpose of the orienting activities
• How and when to individualize activities and items
  
  

The tutorial introduces additional resources for test examiners, such as the version-assigned CAA for Science Administration Planning Guides and the Directions for Administration, which are available in TOMS, under the Resources tab.

Throughout the tutorial, participants must answer key questions in order to proceed. After completing the tutorial, they have the option of receiving a certificate of completion by email or downloading the certificate. Audio captioning is available.

New CAA for Science Practice Tests Posted!

As we prepare for the launch of the first operational CAA for Science, the new CAA for Science practice tests are now posted on the CAASPP Portal! Students who are eligible to take the CAA for Science, an online assessment designed for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities and for whom an individualized education program team has designated the use of an alternate assessment on statewide summative assessments, can use these practice tests to become familiar with it. Also available on the CAASPP Portal are the accompanying practice test Directions for Administration and the updated CAA for Science training test.

The new practice tests are both domain-specific (i.e., Earth and Space Sciences, Life Sciences, or Physical Sciences) and grade-specific (i.e., grade five or eight or high school). Each practice test assesses only one of the two Science Connectors for each performance task. Next year, however, we anticipate adding the second science connector to each of the practice tests.

We encourage you to check out these handy resources and use them to help your students prepare for the first operational CAA for Science!

Please share this email with any educators in your local educational agency who would be interested in or benefit from this information. To join the email list, send a blank email message to .AreThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. you a new subscriber? Visit the CDE Assessment Spotlight web page to find previous issues.