Dear DataQuest Users: This message is to notify you about several new staff data reports that are now publicly available on the California Department of Education (CDE) DataQuest Web site at https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/. These reports are based on data submitted and certified in the California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS) by districts and charter schools. These reports include: 2017–18 FTE of Classified Staff2018–19 Estimated Number of Teacher Hires You can access these reports by performing the following steps: 1.Navigate to the DataQuest home page at https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/ 2.Select the desired Level (State, County, District, or School) 3.Select one of the follo...

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...

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

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...

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...

(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...

Focusing on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System, including the Smarter Balanced assessments—a major component of CAASPP—and the California Alternate Assessments and science assessments. Accessibility Last month, the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium passed eight motions to update the Usability, Accessibility, and Accommodations Guidelines (UAAG). The changes, which apply only to specific CAASPP assessments, are as follows: New universal tools - Embedded thesaurus - Embedded line reader
New designated supports - Non-embedded amplification - Embedded mouse pointer size and color New accommodations - Embedded braille transcript ...

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, which 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. ELPAC Regulations Approved! Have you heard the news? The ELPAC regulations have been approved and will become effe...