English Language Proficiency Assessments for California

The English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) is the mandated assessment for determining English language proficiency for students whose primary language is one other language other than English. A student's primary language is identified through the Home Language Survey, which is completed upon enrolling the student in a California school.

State and federal laws require that all students in Transitional Kinder through grade twelve, whose primary language is one other than English, be assessed for English language proficiency. Information from the ELPAC helps educators provide the necessary support.

The ELPAC encompasses the following assessments:

Initial ELPAC - used to determine the English proficiency of students entering California schools for the first time

Summative ELPAC - used to measure progress towards English proficiency, to hep inform proper educational placements, and to help determine if a student is ready to be reclassified

Alternate ELPAC - designed for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities and have been identified as having a language other than English

Reclassification Criteria

Reclassification of English Learners

Resources for Families

https://elpac.startingsmarter.org/

Espanol: https://elpac.startingsmarter.org/es/

To help empower parents/guardians and families to become partners in their child's academic success the California Department of Education have created the new Starting Smarter website. It is designed to help parents use their child's ELPAC test results to start a meaningful conversation with their child's teacher about how to support student learning at home. The family-focused website provides resources to facilitate parents'/guardians' understanding of the scores presented on a child's SSRs. Using this website, families can become involved in their child's educational progress

Additional Resource

⌊ELPAC FAQs⌋ ⌊Online Practice and Training⌋ ⌊Practice Test Items⌋ ⌊ELPAC Results⌋ ⌊Additional Parent Resources⌋

⌊Technology Readiness Checker for Students ⌋