English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) 

Initial ELPAC Computer-Based Assessment 

Dear Parent/Guardian: 

When registering your child for school, you listed that your child speaks a language other than English. In California public schools, all students entering school for the first time will be assessed with the Initial English Language Proficiency Assessments for California, or “Initial ELPAC,” if their home language is not English. 

The Initial ELPAC is a required assessment (California Ed Code Section 313 and 60810) that will help identify students who need help learning English by determining whether the student is an English learner or is fluent in English. This is important so they can get the support they need to do well in all school subjects. 

Based on the Home Language Survey results, your child will be assessed with the Initial ELPAC. Testing will take place in-person during the school day. Results will be available in Aeries within 7 days of test completion. For more information, visit the Parents/Guardians Resources web page at https://www.elpac.org/resources/parent-resources/. 

To learn more about the ELPAC, go to the California Department of Education Parent Guides to Understanding web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ca/parentguidetounderstand.asp. You also can review sample test questions on the practice tests which can be found on the ELPAC Starting Smarter website at https://elpac.startingsmarter.org/. 

If you have any questions about your child taking the ELPAC, please contact your site administrator.