Reporting Overall Performance on ELPAC

ELPAC Interim Assessments

A scale score and performance level are provided for each student. Those performance levels describe how student performance relates to standards of student performance initially provided in the 2017–18 Summative English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) standard setting study and later revised on the basis of subsequent studies.

The California Department of Education decided after the standard setting study to report three performance levels by combining Somewhat Developed and Moderately Developed into a single classification called Somewhat to Moderately Developed. These performance levels were adopted for the ELPAC Interim Assessments, and the three performance levels are described as the following:

• Beginning to Develop: The assessment results indicate that the student may know some English words and phrases as described by the standards measured in this test.
• Somewhat to Moderately Developed: The assessment results indicate that the student may be able to use English to communicate simple ideas but is not yet able to consistently use English in an academic context as described by the standards measured in this test.
• Well Developed: The assessment results indicate that the student can consistently use English in an academic context as described by the standards measured in this test.

Detailed information about this study can be found in the Standard-Setting Technical Report for the Summative English Language Proficiency Assessments for California and in the Summative Threshold Score Validation Study.

The minimum and maximum scale scores for each ELPAC Interim Assessment performance level vary for each interim assessment form. The scale score ranges for ELPAC Interim Assessment domains are presented in table 1 through table 4. Although domain-level scale scores are available for the ELPAC Interim Assessments, domain-level scale scores are not reported or available for the Summative ELPAC.

What follows is the key for column headers in table 1 through table 4:

• Level 1 = Beginning to Develop
• Level 2 = Somewhat to Moderately Developed
• Level 3 = Well Developed

Table 1 presents the grade-level thresholds for the Listening domain for the ELPAC Interim Assessments.

Table 2 presents the grade-level thresholds for the Speaking domain for the ELPAC Interim Assessments.

Table 3 presents the grade-level thresholds for the Reading domain for the ELPAC Interim Assessments.

Finally, table 4 presents the grade-level thresholds for the Writing domain for the ELPAC Interim Assessments.

Summative ELPAC

A scale score and performance level are provided for each student. These performance levels describe how student results relate to the 2012 California English Language Development (ELD) Standards as measured by the Summative English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC).

The Summative ELPAC is the state assessment of English language proficiency (ELP) and measures annual progress in the four domains of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Following the 2017–18 test administration, the assessment was placed on a vertical scale, allowing comparison of student progress over time and across grade levels. Scale scores are comparable across test administration years, enabling educators to monitor student growth in ELP from kindergarten through grade twelve.

A student’s performance is reported in one of four overall performance levels:

• Level 1—Beginning to Develop: The student is beginning to develop English language skills and typically requires substantial support to participate in classroom learning and communication.
• Level 2—Somewhat Developed: The student has somewhat developed English language skills and often requires help using English to learn new academic content and engage in social situations.
• Level 3—Moderately Developed: The student has moderately developed English language skills and can use English in familiar contexts but may still need help in more complex or less familiar settings.
• Level 4—Well Developed: The student has well developed English language skills and can usually use English effectively to learn new academic content and communicate in a variety of social and classroom settings, with only occasional support needed.

Performance levels are assigned on the basis of scale score ranges, which vary by grade level or grade span. Threshold scores—the minimum scores for levels 2, 3, and 4—were established during the standard setting and validation studies conducted after the 2017–18 operational administration. These studies determined the association between scale scores and performance levels, ensuring alignment with the 2012 ELD Standards.

The Summative ELPAC reports overall, composite-level, and domain-level results. Overall scores, composite scores, and performance levels are reported. The following are the two composites and what domains compose them:

1. Oral Language Composite: Composed of Listening and Speaking domain results
2. Written Language Composite: Composed of Reading and Writing domain results

These two language composite scores contribute equally for determining the overall performance level on the Summative ELPAC in grades one through twelve. For kindergarten, the oral language composite contributes 70 percent and the written language composite contributes 30 percent for determining the overall performance level on the Summative ELPAC.

The overall threshold is the sum of the thresholds for the two composites, based on the weighted contributions described.

Performance levels are assigned on the basis of scale score ranges, which vary by grade level or grade span. Threshold scale scores—the minimum scale scores for reaching performance levels 2, 3, and 4—were established during a standard setting. The resulting threshold scores were adopted by the California State Board of Education (SBE) in November 2017 for the 2017–18 Summative ELPAC administration. Those original threshold scores were revised on the basis of the results of the Summative Threshold Score Validation Study and other empirical analyses. These revisions were adopted by the SBE in November 2018 for the 2018–19 test administration and beyond; the resulting scale score ranges can be found in table 5.

The minimum and maximum scale scores for each Summative ELPAC overall performance level vary by grade level or grade span. The scale score ranges for the Summative ELPAC overall performance levels are presented in table 5. A student is assigned an overall score only if assessed in both oral and written language skills. For the Summative ELPAC, a student does not receive an overall score if the student is exempted from both domains within either the oral language or written language composite.

In cases where a student has an approved domain exemption due to a disability for which there are no appropriate accommodations for assessment in one or more of the tested domains, the student is assessed in the remaining domain(s) in which it is possible to assess the student and the overall score is based on the remaining tested domains.

Scale score ranges for the Summative ELPAC oral language composite and written language composite performance levels are presented in table 6 and table 7.

The Summative ELPAC tests the four domains of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Although domain-level scale scores are available for the ELPAC Interim Assessments, domain-level scale scores are not reported or available for the Summative ELPAC. For each of these domains, domain-level performance is reported using three performance level descriptors:

1. Beginning to Develop
2. Somewhat to Moderately Developed
3. Well Developed

Domain performance levels provide insight into strengths and areas for improvement across language skills.

Domain performance levels are reported but with fewer levels than are reported at the composite or overall level. This is because fewer test questions support the evaluation of performance in each domain, which makes domain scores subject to more variation due to performance on a small number of particular questions. Providing domain information in terms of performance levels reduces this risk.

Summative Alternate ELPAC

A scale score and performance level are provided for each student. These performance levels describe how student performance relates to the 2012 California English Language Development (ELD) Standards (via the ELD Connectors, which are reduced in depth, breadth, and complexity for this population) as measured by the Summative Alternate English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC).

The Summative Alternate ELPAC is the state assessment of English language proficiency (ELP) for English learner students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. It provides information about each student’s annual progress toward ELP and supports determinations of whether the student has achieved sufficient English skills to communicate and learn effectively in school.

The Summative Alternate ELPAC uses a common reporting scale, allowing for meaningful comparisons across test administrations and forms. The scoring process converts raw scores to ability estimates and then to scale scores through an equating process that ensures comparability across test administrations and forms. Each scale score corresponds to one of three Summative Alternate ELPAC overall performance levels:

• Level 1—Novice English Learner: Students at this level have minimal English language proficiency. They need substantial linguistic support to enable them to access adapted grade-level content in English.
• Level 2—Intermediate English Learner: Students at this level have moderate English language proficiency. They may need frequent linguistic support to enable them to access adapted grade-level content in English.
• Level 3—Fluent English Proficient: Students at this level have sufficient English language proficiency. They may need occasional linguistic support to enable them to access adapted grade-level content in English.

Summative Alternate ELPAC overall performance levels are assigned on the basis of scale score ranges that vary by grade level and grade span. Threshold scale scores—the minimum scale scores for reaching overall performance levels 2 and 3—were established during the standard setting and validation studies conducted with the 2021–22 operational field test data. These studies determined the score boundaries and aligned the overall performance levels with the 2012 California ELD Standards via the ELD Connectors.

• The Summative Alternate ELPAC overall performance levels are categorical labels associated with specific scale score ranges. These ranges were defined through the standard setting process conducted by the California Department of Education and ETS, which established the relationships between scale scores and student performance levels.
• Scale scores allow both individual and group-level comparisons of student progress in ELP across schools or local educational agencies at the same grade level or grade span. The assessment is designed to capture growth in ELP within the context of the student’s individualized education program and instructional supports.
• The Summative Alternate ELPAC tests the four domains of Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing in an integrated manner and is administered individually by a trained test examiner. Scores are derived from rubric-based ratings and standardized scoring procedures designed to ensure consistency and fairness across administrations.

The minimum and maximum scale scores for each Summative Alternate ELPAC overall performance level vary by grade level or grade span. The scale score ranges for the Summative Alternate ELPAC are presented in table 8.