Administering the Initial Alternate and Summative Alternate ELPAC

This section provides information about Initial Alternate and Summative Alternate English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) test examiners (TEs), estimated testing times, and administration methods.

Who Administers the Alternate ELPAC?

The Initial Alternate and Summative Alternate ELPAC are administered by trained TEs per 5 CCR Section 11518.50 who

  • are employees or contractors of their local educational agency (LEA);
  • are proficient in speaking English (which means complete command of pronunciation, intonation, and fluency);
  • have electronically signed the Test Security Affidavit prior to accessing the test materials or administering the test;
  • certify that they have received ELPAC training from their LEA; and
  • are familiar with the student’s preferred modes of communication.

Alternate ELPAC Administration Method

The Alternate ELPAC must be administered in person by a trained TE who is familiar with the student’s preferred mode of communication. The Alternate ELPAC allows for an individualized testing experience, in some cases through the use of manipulatives, and provides a wide range of specialized accessibility resources that are available on the basis of individual student need.

Alternate ELPAC Test Duration

The Initial Alternate and Summative Alternate ELPAC are untimed tests and should be administered one-on-one; all students should be provided with as much time and as many breaks as necessary. These estimates include the presentation of student directions, stories, and test questions; however, they do not include setting up and logging on to the TE’s device. In addition, these estimated testing times are based on the prior year’s administration times. Based on the task type, the approximate administration times are provided in tables 1 and 2 below.

Table 1. Initial Alternate ELPAC Estimated Testing Times by Task Types
Task Type Estimated Administration Time
Recognize and Use Common Words 7–10 minutes
Communicate About Familiar Topics 5–7 minutes
Understand a School Exchange 6–8 minutes
Describe a Routine 9–11 minutes
Understand and Express an Opinion 7–9 minutes
Interact with a Literary Text 5–7 minutes
Interact with an Informational Text 6–8 minutes
Total 45–60 minutes

Table 2. Summative Alternate ELPAC Estimated Testing Times by Task Types
Task Type Estimated Administration Time
Recognize and Use Common Words 9–15 minutes
Communicate About Familiar Topics 8–11 minutes
Understand a School Exchange 9–15 minutes
Describe a Routine 9–15 minutes
Understand and Express an Opinion 9–13 minutes
Interact with a Literary Text 8–12 minutes
Interact with an Informational Text 8–12 minutes
Total 60–90 minutes

For more information regarding testing times for the Initial Alternate and Summative Alternate ELPAC, refer to the Alternate ELPAC Test Administration web page.

Alternate ELPAC Participation

For the Initial Alternate ELPAC and the Summative Alternate ELPAC, students with the most significant cognitive disabilities are counted toward participation if they complete, at a minimum, one Receptive item and one Expressive item from within the assessment. Please note that a “Mark as No Response” is also considered a valid response and, therefore, counts as a completed item. Refer to the Alternate ELPAC Participation and Scoring flyer.