School Data Leadership Association assessment resource
Resource 2A — Annual Assessment Coordinator Checklist
A practical, school-by-school workbook for coordinating California statewide assessment preparation, administration, monitoring, and closeout across the 2026–27 cycle.
Annual Assessment Coordinator Checklist
Use the editable matrix to track each school’s progress through a chronological set of assessment-coordination activities.
File: SDLA_California_Assessment_Coordinator_Checklist_2026-27.xlsx
What this resource is
The checklist is a lean operational tracker modeled on the way district assessment teams monitor required work across multiple schools. Activities are arranged from summer setup through early-year alternate assessment preparation, winter planning, testing, reporting, and end-of-cycle closeout. Each school has its own status cell, allowing the coordinator to see where follow-up is needed without maintaining separate checklists.
Designed for coordination
The workbook supports status conversations, reminder messages, site meetings, assignment of local owners, and documentation of work still requiring attention.
Designed for local adaptation
School names, owners, dates, local windows, procedures, and additional assessments should be revised to match the district’s organization and current guidance.
Assessment areas represented
- CAASPP
Smarter Balanced ELA and mathematics - Science
CAST and CAA for Science - Alternate assessments
CAA for ELA, mathematics, and science - English-language proficiency
Initial and Summative ELPAC - Alternate ELPAC
Initial and Summative administrations - Additional programs
PFT, optional CSA, and conditional NAEP activities
Why CAA for Science appears early
CAA for Science is not a spring-only activity. Its three embedded performance tasks may begin early in the school year and should follow instruction in the related science content. The checklist therefore places student identification, form review, examiner preparation, instructional planning, and completion monitoring near the beginning of the annual cycle.
Suggested use
- Replace the generic school headings. Enter the schools, programs, or testing locations the coordinator monitors.
- Confirm the current calendar. Replace planning estimates with state, district, and school deadlines for the active cycle.
- Confirm owners. Assign each activity to the staff member or team responsible locally.
- Update status consistently. Use the workbook’s status choices to identify work that is not started, in progress, complete, blocked, or not applicable.
- Use the matrix for follow-up. Filter or scan the school columns before coordination meetings and reminder communications.
- Close the cycle deliberately. Reconcile completion, reporting, secure materials, access, records, and lessons for the following year.
Local review required. This workbook is a planning aid, not an official state calendar or substitute for current CDE guidance, CAASPP and ELPAC manuals, TOMS notices, district policy, collective-bargaining obligations, IEP and Section 504 decisions, or locally approved testing procedures.
Resource version: 2026–27 first edition. Review current state guidance and local requirements before operational use.