Districts and charters assesses students for whom a language other than English is indicated on the Home Language Survey (HLS).  The English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) is used to assess the student’s English language proficiency (ELP) in kindergarten through grade twelve.  The results of the ELPAC helps schools understand the needs of their students and determine the appropriate language instructional support and services to provide to their students.

The ELPAC consists of two parts:

• Part 1: The Initial ELPAC is given to students whose HLS indicated a primary language other than English and who have never been previously classified as English learners.  The Initial ELPAC is completed within the first 30 days of when students enroll in a public school.  The purpose of the Initial ELPAC is to determine a student’s English proficiency level.
  
  Parents will receive an Initial ELPAC Score Report that describes the three possible Initial ELPAC performance levels, the student’s overall score, and their Initial ELPAC performance level.  A sample of a student score report is available on the ELPAC Sample Student Score Reports (SSRs) web page. For information about the three performance level descriptors (PLDs), reference the Initial ELPAC General PLDs web page.

• Part 2: The Summative ELPAC is an annual assessment given to students who are classified as English learners through the Initial ELPAC. The Summative ELPAC is administered every spring between February and May until the EL student is reclassified. (See Reclassification section below for more information.) The purpose of the Summative ELPAC is to determine the English language proficiency level of an EL student, assess the student’s progress in acquiring English skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), and support decisions for reclassifying a student to the RFEP status, when appropriate.
  
  Parents will receive a Summative ELPAC Score Report that describes the four possible Summative ELPAC performance levels, the student’s scores (e.g., overall, oral language, and written language) and their Summative ELPAC performance level. A sample of a student score report is available on the ELPAC Sample Student Score Reports (SSRs) web page. For information about the four performance levels, reference the Summative ELPAC General PLDs web page.

Source: Multilingual Learners - Survey, Assessments, Programs, and Reclassification