School Data Leadership Association assessment solutions
Annual Assessment Parent Letter and Implementation Notes
A coordinated two-file resource for preparing a clear family notice about California statewide assessments and completing the local review, approval, accessibility, translation, distribution, and records work behind it.
Annual Assessment Parent Letter
A district-customizable family notice describing California statewide assessments and screenings, who participates, what students do, what the programs measure, local information fields, and the CAASPP exemption right.
Use with: Parents, guardians, students, family-facing staff, and school communities
SDLA Resource 1A - Annual Assessment Parent Letter.docx
Download Resource 1AImplementation Notes
The internal control document for customizing, validating, approving, translating, distributing, and maintaining the family letter. It includes review maps, release checks, authoritative sources, and a local approval record.
Use with: Assessment, communications, student services, special education, multilingual education, accessibility, legal, and leadership teams
SDLA Resource 1B - Implementation Notes.docx
Download Resource 1BWhy these resources work as a pair
Resource 1A is family facing
The parent letter organizes complex assessment information in one readable starting point. Districts customize local schedules, contacts, optional programs, adopted screening information, and other locally controlled details before distribution.
Resource 1B is an internal control
The companion notes help staff resolve placeholders, verify program-specific rights, coordinate cross-department review, prepare accessible and translated versions, authorize release, and retain evidence of the approved communication.
What the family letter covers
- CAASPP
Smarter Balanced, CAST, California Alternate Assessments, and optional CSA - English-language proficiency
Initial and Summative ELPAC and Alternate ELPAC - Physical fitness
California Physical Fitness Test for applicable grades - Early literacy
Screening for risk of reading difficulties in kindergarten and grades 1–2 - Selected programs
Program-specific notice when a school or student is selected, including NAEP when applicable - Local preparation
Schedules, contacts, accessibility information, accommodations, and family questions
Recommended local workflow
- Start with Resource 1B. Identify the staff responsible for assessment, special education, multilingual education, communications, accessibility, legal or policy review, and final approval.
- Customize Resource 1A. Replace every bracketed field and confirm which assessments, screenings, grades, schools, optional programs, dates, and contacts apply locally.
- Validate each program separately. Confirm participation rules, family rights, accessibility terminology, and current state guidance for each assessment or screening.
- Prepare accessible communications. Complete translation, electronic accessibility, print-format, and alternate-format work through the district’s established procedures.
- Approve and distribute. Record the final version, reviewers, approval, dissemination date, delivery channels, languages, and response path for family questions.
- Retain and revalidate. Preserve the approved local letter and completed implementation record, then review both again for the next annual cycle.
Keep family-rights language program specific. California Education Code section 60615 provides a written-request exemption from CAASPP. Do not describe that right as applying automatically to ELPAC, the Physical Fitness Test, reading-difficulties screening, or every other assessment. Verify the separate requirements and rights governing each program before local release.
Primary guidance for annual review
Baseline source review completed August 25, 2026. Verify current guidance, local programs, schedules, contacts, policies, and approval requirements before distribution.