ELPAC - English Language Proficiency Assessments for California ELPAC Composite Scores Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which two domains are combined to calculate a student's Written Language composite score on both the Initial and Summative ELPAC?
- Listening and Speaking
- Reading and Writing (Correct answer)
- Speaking and Reading
- Listening and Writing
Correct answer: Reading and Writing
The Written Language composite score is calculated from the Reading and Writing domains, reflecting a student's skills with written text. The Oral Language composite is calculated from the Listening and Speaking domains.
Question 2: A Local Educational Agency (LEA) is reviewing a student's Summative ELPAC results as the first criterion for reclassification. According to California Department of Education guidelines, which score and performance level make a student eligible for consideration?
- Oral Language Performance Level 4
- The highest individual domain score
- Written Language Performance Level 4
- Overall Performance Level 4 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Overall Performance Level 4
The primary indicator for reclassification eligibility is achieving an Overall Performance Level of 4 on the Summative ELPAC. This score demonstrates a high level of English proficiency across all four domains, which is the first step in the multi-criteria reclassification process.
Question 3: For students in grades 2-12, how are the Oral Language and Written Language composite scores weighted to determine the Overall composite score on the Summative ELPAC?
- 70% Oral Language and 30% Written Language
- 30% Oral Language and 70% Written Language
- 50% Oral Language and 50% Written Language (Correct answer)
- The weighting varies based on individual student performance.
Correct answer: 50% Oral Language and 50% Written Language
For grades two through twelve, the Overall score on the Summative ELPAC is calculated with an equal weighting: 50% from the Oral Language composite score (Listening and Speaking) and 50% from the Written Language composite score (Reading and Writing).
Question 4: A third-grade student's Summative ELPAC report shows an Overall Performance Level of 3. What does this level, 'Moderately Developed,' generally indicate about the student's English skills?
- The student has well-developed skills and can use English to learn and communicate in all contexts.
- The student has somewhat developed skills and usually needs help to learn new things or interact socially in English.
- The student has moderately developed skills and can sometimes use English to learn and interact but may need support on less-familiar topics. (Correct answer)
- The student has minimally developed skills and relies on learned words and phrases to communicate at a basic level.
Correct answer: The student has moderately developed skills and can sometimes use English to learn and interact but may need support on less-familiar topics.
An Overall Performance Level of 3, or 'Moderately Developed,' indicates that a student can sometimes use English for academic and social purposes but may require linguistic support when encountering less-familiar topics or situations. It represents a midpoint in the journey to full English proficiency.
Question 5: A school data team is analyzing a student's score report and notes a significant discrepancy between the Oral Language composite and the Written Language composite. Which of the following is the most accurate interpretation of this score profile?
- The student's Overall score is invalid and cannot be interpreted.
- It provides targeted information on which set of skills (spoken vs. written) may require more instructional support. (Correct answer)
- This type of score profile is rare and likely indicates a testing irregularity.
- The Oral Language score is always more predictive of academic success than the Written Language score.
Correct answer: It provides targeted information on which set of skills (spoken vs. written) may require more instructional support.
The purpose of providing separate Oral Language (Listening/Speaking) and Written Language (Reading/Writing) composite scores is to help educators identify specific areas of strength and weakness. A discrepancy between these scores is valuable data for targeting instruction to support the student's needs in either their spoken or written English skills.
Question 6: Which of the following statements correctly describes how a student's Overall composite score is derived?
- It is the simple average of the four raw scores from the Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing domains.
- It is calculated directly from the Written Language composite score, as this is the most heavily weighted.
- It is a combination of the Oral Language composite score and the Written Language composite score. (Correct answer)
- It is determined solely by the student's performance on the Speaking and Writing domains.
Correct answer: It is a combination of the Oral Language composite score and the Written Language composite score.
The Overall score is not a simple average of the four domains. It is calculated by combining the two composite scores: Oral Language (Listening and Speaking) and Written Language (Reading and Writing). The weighting of these two composites can vary by grade level.
Which two domains are combined to calculate a student's Written Language composite score on both the Initial and Summative ELPAC?