ELPAC Alternate ELPAC Purpose 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What term describes the type of English language development standards the Alternate ELPAC is built upon?
- Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
- California English Language Development Standards (CA ELD Standards) — Alternate (Correct answer)
- Next Generation Science Standards Language Practices
- California Career Technical Education Language Benchmarks
Correct answer: California English Language Development Standards (CA ELD Standards) — Alternate
The Alternate ELPAC is built upon the CA ELD Standards—Alternate, which represent reduced-complexity versions of the standard CA ELD Standards.
Question 2: How does the Alternate ELPAC Summative assessment inform instruction for teachers?
- It provides a single holistic score with no domain-level detail
- It reports proficiency level scores by domain to guide targeted language instruction (Correct answer)
- It ranks students against peers nationally to set instructional benchmarks
- It automatically assigns students to a specific instructional program
Correct answer: It reports proficiency level scores by domain to guide targeted language instruction
Summative Alternate ELPAC results include domain-level scores that teachers and IEP teams can use to plan targeted English language development instruction.
Question 3: Who is responsible for administering the Alternate ELPAC to eligible students?
- Any certificated classroom teacher regardless of training
- A trained test examiner, typically a special education teacher or specialist (Correct answer)
- A state-appointed testing contractor who visits the school
- The student's parent or guardian in a home-based setting
Correct answer: A trained test examiner, typically a special education teacher or specialist
The Alternate ELPAC must be administered by a trained examiner—usually a special education teacher or specialist—who follows California's administration procedures.
Question 4: What is the key difference between the Alternate ELPAC Initial assessment and the Summative assessment?
- The Initial is used to identify new potential English learners for designation, while the Summative monitors annual progress (Correct answer)
- The Initial is optional; the Summative is mandatory for all students
- The Initial assesses writing only; the Summative assesses all four domains
- The Initial is taken online; the Summative is paper-based
Correct answer: The Initial is used to identify new potential English learners for designation, while the Summative monitors annual progress
The Alternate ELPAC Initial is administered to newly enrolled students to determine EL designation, while the Summative is given annually to monitor English language development progress.
Question 5: Which accessibility feature is particularly important when administering the Alternate ELPAC to eligible students?
- Extended time only, with no other modifications allowed
- Individualized supports and accommodations consistent with the student's IEP (Correct answer)
- Calculators and reference sheets for all test sections
- Bilingual dictionaries in all assessed languages
Correct answer: Individualized supports and accommodations consistent with the student's IEP
Because students taking the Alternate ELPAC have significant cognitive disabilities, their IEP-specified supports and accommodations are essential to ensure a valid assessment.
Question 6: What happens to Alternate ELPAC results in the context of school and district accountability?
- They are excluded from all accountability calculations
- They are included in the English Learner Progress Indicator under the California School Dashboard (Correct answer)
- They replace the regular ELPAC results for the entire English learner subgroup
- They are reported only to the U.S. Department of Education, not locally
Correct answer: They are included in the English Learner Progress Indicator under the California School Dashboard
Alternate ELPAC results contribute to the English Learner Progress Indicator on the California School Dashboard, making them part of school and district accountability.
Question 7: Why is it inappropriate to administer the Alternate ELPAC to English learners who have learning disabilities but NOT significant cognitive disabilities?
- Federal law prohibits any student with a learning disability from taking alternate assessments
- The Alternate ELPAC is designed only for students whose IEP team determines a significant cognitive disability warrants the alternate pathway (Correct answer)
- The Alternate ELPAC is only available in grades 6–12 and not for younger students with learning disabilities
- Students with learning disabilities are automatically reclassified as FEP
Correct answer: The Alternate ELPAC is designed only for students whose IEP team determines a significant cognitive disability warrants the alternate pathway
The Alternate ELPAC eligibility is restricted to students with the most significant cognitive disabilities; using it for other ELs with learning disabilities would be an inappropriate placement.
ELPAC Alternate ELPAC Purpose 3
What term describes the type of English language development standards the Alternate ELPAC is built upon?