1. A Site Administrator’s Guide to Talking to Parents about the ELPAC
A Guide to Understanding the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC)
A Site Administrator’s Guide to Talking to Parents about the ELPAC

2. How To Use This Deck Customize and Edit as Needed
Pick the slides you want to use:
Choose View Tab - choose Normal
In the slide list on left, right-click on the slide you don’t want – select “Hide Slide” at the bottom of the menu
Add your school’s logo and change colors.
Talking points are provided in the Notes Section that can be customized to your audience.

3. How To Use This Deck (cont.)
Change color scheme (should apply to all slides in deck)
Select View tab → select Slide Master choice
Titles: Select slide → highlight header text → select Home tab → choose text color → return to View tab
Body: Select slide → highlight body text → select Home tab → choose text color → return to View tab
Green line: Select slide → highlight line → select Home tab → select Shape Outline → choose color → return to View tab
When all changes are made: Slide Master tab → Close Slide Master view

4. The Intent of This Deck
This slide deck is intended for use by site administrators to talk to parents about the new ELPAC assessment.

5. [Add School Logo Here if Desired] [Add School Motto Here if Desired]
Understanding the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC)
[Add School Logo Here if Desired]
[Add School Motto Here if Desired]
Good Evening Families!
My name is [insert name] and I’m very excited about all the learning that will take place this year here at [insert school name].
Tonight, I’d like to share with you a few of the ways that we measure how our students here at [insert school name] whose primary language is not English are learning and what we do with that information.
I’ll also talk to you about important ways that you can work in partnership with your child’s teacher to ensure their success.
Let’s get started!

6. What is the ELPAC? The ELPAC is a test that:
Measures how well students understand English when it is not their primary language
Provides information that helps your child’s teacher support him or her in the right areas
Provides information to parents about their child's progress in learning in English
Let’s spend the next few minutes talking about what the ELPAC is.
The ELPAC is the test that is used to measure how well California students from kindergarten through twelfth grade understand English when it is not the language that they speak most often at home.
How many of you remember your child taking the California English Language Development Test, also called the CELDT? Great! The ELPAC is the new test that will replace the CELDT.
The information from this test will be used by your teachers to decide how much and what type of support they need to provide for your children to help them succeed in school.

7. What Does the ELPAC Test?
The ELPAC tests four different domain areas:
The ELPAC tests students in four different areas. It tests how well students do in Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing in English.
You will also hear these areas called “domains”.
Let’s talk about what your student might be asked to do in each domain.
For listening students might be asked to listen to a story and then answer some questions.
For speaking, students might be asked to talk about a scene they are shown with pictures.
For reading, students might be asked to read a short story and then answer a multiple choice question.
For writing, students might be asked to describe a picture they are shown.

8. Why Do Students Take the ELPAC?
If a language other than English is identified, California requires students to take the ELPAC. Identifying students who need help learning in English is important so English learners can get the support they need to do well in school.
You may be wondering why students need to take the ELPAC?
If a language other than English is identified, California requires students to take the ELPAC.
As we said just a couple of minutes ago, the results of this test will help the teachers help students do better at school.
Based on the results of this test, teachers will gain a better understanding of what type of support, and how much support, students need so they can learn in English and be successful in school.

9. The ELPAC Has Two Assessments
Initial
Assessment
Summative
Assessment
Another important thing to know is that the ELPAC is made up of two different tests: the initial assessment and the summative assessment.
We will talk more about each assessment next.

10. The Initial ELPAC: Who:
Students who are new to California schools and who are identified as speaking a language other than English are given the Initial Assessment within 30 days of when they enroll in a California school.
Students only take the Initial Assessment once.
Why:
The Initial Assessment is used to identify students as either an English learner who needs support to learn in English, or as proficient in English.
First, let’s talk about the Initial ELPAC. The Initial ELPAC won’t be given to students until July 1, The CELDT Initial Assessment will be given until that time.
You can see here that this test is specifically designed for students who are new to school in California. It is only given to students who speak a language other than English at home. When you completed the school enrollment forms and say that your child speaks a language other than English at home, your child will take the Initial ELPAC.
The test will be given within 30 days of when your child is enrolled at the school and your student will take the Initial Assessment only once in their lifetime.
When students first enroll at a school, the teachers don’t know how well they know English and if they can easily learn other subjects, such as math or science, in English. The Initial ELPAC will help the school find students who are English learners and need support to learn English.
It’s important to understand than your students may not have to take this part of the ELPAC. If your child previously took the CELDT Initial Assessment and is already receiving support to learn English, he or she will not have to take this part of the ELPAC.

11. The Summative ELPAC:
Who: Students who are English learners are given the Summative Assessment each spring between February 1 and May 31 until they are reclassified as English proficient. Why: The Summative Assessment is used to measure the progress English learner students are making in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English. The results help tell the school if the student is ready to be reclassified as proficient in English or if they need more support in learning in English.
Now let’s talk about the second part of the ELPAC – the Summative Assessment.
The summative assessment is given at the end of every school year, between February 1st and May31st, as long as your child needs support in learning English. The ELPAC Summative Assessment is used to show students’ English language skills. The results will help tell the school if the student is ready to be reclassified as proficient in English or if they need more support in learning in English.

12. What Information Will I Get About How My Child Did on the ELPAC?
All students who take the ELPAC will receive a Student Score Report.
Students who take the Summative ELPAC will receive student score reports between March and August. [Insert more specific information about the timing of this report for your school. Districts will get reports 6-8 weeks after the tests are received by the testing vendor]
Students who take the Initial ELPAC will receive student score reports within 30 days of enrollment. [Insert more specific information about the timing of this report for your school.]
Let’s take a moment to look at the Student Score Report and understand the information it shows.

13. What Information Will I Get About How My Child Did on the Summative ELPAC?
Overall Score / Level
Oral Language Score / Level
Written Language Score / Level
Domain Level
Each Student Score Report will provide you with specific information about how your child did on the Summative ELPAC.
Score reports will show:
Overall Score and Level, which is the total number of points received by your student on this test.
Oral Language and Written Language score and level.
Oral Language is speaking and listening
Written Language is reading and writing
This gives you information on where your child’s strengths and weaknesses are in the English language and where your child might need additional support.
And finally you will see a level assigned to each domain: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

14. Summative ELPAC Student Score Report
More information about your child’s Student Score Report will be coming soon, including a video explaining the score report.

15. The School’s Role: Supporting Your Child’s Success
Your child’s teacher is the best place to start if you have any questions.
Here at [insert school name here], we have the following programs in place to help support English learner students:
[insert program]
Here are [insert school], we take our job of teaching your child very seriously.
If you have any concerns about your child’s education and what he or she is learning, the best place to start is with your child’s teacher. The teacher can work in partnership with you to make sure that your child receives the support he or she needs to be successful.
At [insert school name], we have a number of programs and services to support student learning.
[Insert talking points about the specific programs and services offered at your school.]

16. How You Can Help Support Your Child’s Success
Ask your child’s teacher:
In what areas is my child doing well?
In what areas might my child need some extra support?
How can I help support my child at home?
How are you supporting my child at school?
Additionally, you can help support your child’s success.
First, and foremost, talk to your child about what he or she is learning. Make sure you review his or her homework to see what they are learning and to help them the best you can.
Your child’s teacher is your #1 resource. The best time to contact your child’s teacher is either before or after school. Ask your child’s teacher about how they like to be contacted – either by phone or via .
When you talk to your child’s teacher ask them specific questions about your child, ask:
Where is my child doing well?
Where might my child need some extra support?
Who will provide that extra support?
How can I and other family members help at home?
Those are just a few examples of how to start a conversation with your child’s teacher.

17. How You Can Help Support Your Child’s Success (cont.)
Read to your child, or have your child read to you, on a regular basis.
Use pictures and ask your child to tell you what he or she sees in the picture or what is happening in the picture.
Provide your child with opportunities to use language outside of school.
Encourage your child to try their best because the tests are important.
Additionally, here are a few other ways that you can help your child be successful:
[For elementary schools]
Encourage your child to read daily.
[For middle and high schools]
Your child will likely have homework every day. You can help him or her be successful by making sure that they have a quiet place at home to do that work that is free from distractions.
[For all students]
When it’s time for testing, talk to your child about the test. Make sure your child knows that the tests are important, but they are just one measure of learning. The teacher uses that information along with other information to make sure your child is getting the support they need.
If you’re interested, the California Department of Education has also developed Practice Tests that you can access from home on the computer. You can look at sample test questions and get familiar with the way questions are presented on the computer. More information about the Practice Tests are on the Parent Resources flyer that you received today/tonight.

18. How Can I Learn More About the Tests My Child is Taking?
Review the Parent Guide to Understanding
Available in seven languages
Take an ELPAC Practice Test with your child at home
The California Department of Education has developed a series called the Parent Guide to Understanding. These are designed to be simple overview that answer the critical questions of what, why, who, how, and when about each assessment.
[NOTE: Suggest providing parents a printed copy of the Parent Guide to Understanding the ELPAC]
You can find those on the Web site listed on this slide.
There are also practice tests available that will help you and your child understand the type of test questions that they might receive. You can take the practice tests from home with your child.