ELPAC - English Language Proficiency Assessments for California Alternate ELPAC Purpose Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An IEP team is meeting for an English learner who has a significant cognitive disability that prevents them from meaningfully participating in the General ELPAC, even with all allowable accommodations. Which assessment's primary purpose is to measure the English language proficiency of this specific student?
- The California Alternate Assessment (CAA) for ELA
- The General ELPAC with additional designated supports
- A locally created portfolio assessment of English skills
- The Alternate ELPAC (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The Alternate ELPAC
The Alternate ELPAC was developed specifically to provide a standardized measurement of English language proficiency (ELP) for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities whose IEP team determines they cannot participate in the General ELPAC.
Question 2: Which of the following is a primary purpose of the Summative Alternate ELPAC?
- To provide information that supports reclassification decisions. (Correct answer)
- To determine a student's eligibility for special education services.
- To assign a grade for a student's English Language Development (ELD) class.
- To replace the need for an Initial ELPAC assessment.
Correct answer: To provide information that supports reclassification decisions.
A key purpose of the Summative Alternate ELPAC is to measure a student's annual progress in learning English and to provide the English language proficiency (ELP) score, which is one of the four required criteria for reclassification to Fluent English Proficient (RFEP).
Question 3: The development and implementation of a statewide alternate assessment for English language proficiency, such as the Alternate ELPAC, was mandated to ensure compliance with which federal education law?
- The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
- The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) (Correct answer)
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
Correct answer: The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires states to annually assess the English language proficiency of all English learners and to provide an alternate assessment for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who cannot participate in the standard ELP assessment.
Question 4: A district administrator suggests administering the Alternate ELPAC to all newcomer English learners who have very limited English skills, believing it will provide a more accessible starting point. Why is this an inappropriate application of the assessment's purpose?
- The Alternate ELPAC can only be given in the spring.
- The Alternate ELPAC does not yield scores for reclassification.
- The Alternate ELPAC is only for students born in the United States.
- Eligibility is determined by an IEP team based on significant cognitive disability, not the student's level of English proficiency. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Eligibility is determined by an IEP team based on significant cognitive disability, not the student's level of English proficiency.
The sole eligibility criterion for the Alternate ELPAC is the determination by a student's IEP team that the student has a significant cognitive disability preventing participation in the General ELPAC. A student's English proficiency level or newcomer status is not a factor in this decision.
Question 5: What is the main purpose of the Initial Alternate ELPAC?
- To measure a student's annual growth in English.
- To determine if a student should be placed in an advanced academic program.
- To identify a student's initial classification as either an English learner (EL) or Initial Fluent English Proficient (IFEP). (Correct answer)
- To provide a baseline score for the California Alternate Assessment (CAA).
Correct answer: To identify a student's initial classification as either an English learner (EL) or Initial Fluent English Proficient (IFEP).
The purpose of the Initial Alternate ELPAC is to determine a student's English language proficiency status when they first enter a California public school. The results classify the student as either an English learner in need of services or as initially fluent in English.
Question 6: The purpose of designing the Alternate ELPAC with integrated, one-on-one, performance-based tasks is to:
- Allow for a faster and more efficient group administration.
- Provide a standardized and accessible way for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities to demonstrate their English language proficiency. (Correct answer)
- Assess knowledge of grade-level science and history content.
- Eliminate the need for all designated supports and accommodations during testing.
Correct answer: Provide a standardized and accessible way for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities to demonstrate their English language proficiency.
The Alternate ELPAC is designed to be administered one-on-one by a familiar examiner and uses integrated tasks to provide an accessible and standardized method for this specific student population to show what they know and can do in English.
ELPAC - English Language Proficiency Assessments for California Alternate ELPAC Purpose Questions and Answers 1
An IEP team is meeting for an English learner who has a significant cognitive disability that prevents them from meaningfully participating in the General ELPAC, even with all allowable accommodations.
Which assessment's primary purpose is to measure the English language proficiency of this specific student?