California held a September 28 charter-school assessment convening in Los Angeles as schools prepare to use updated CAASPP and ELPAC accessibility resources for students, English learners, and students with disabilities.
Editorial Note
The September 28 Los Angeles convening is a professional-learning event and does not itself create new testing law. California’s accessibility rules operate through existing state assessment requirements, IEP and Section 504 processes, designated supports, accommodations, and Department of Education procedures.
Whether a particular student is entitled to a specific accommodation depends on the applicable assessment rules and, where relevant, the student’s IEP or Section 504 plan. This article is educational information and is not legal or special-education advice.
California held an in-person charter-school assessment convening in Los Angeles on September 28 as schools continue preparing for the 2026–27 CAASPP and ELPAC testing cycle. The California Department of Education has also highlighted updated accessibility resources covering universal tools, designated supports, accommodations, and other assessment settings.
Bottom Line
Assessment accessibility is not simply about making a test easier. The goal is to remove barriers that are unrelated to the knowledge or skill the assessment is intended to measure while preserving the validity of the result.
California distinguishes among universal tools, designated supports, accommodations, and certain unlisted resources. Those categories matter because they determine who may use a support and what approval or documentation may be required.
What Happened
CDE scheduled the Los Angeles charter-school assessment convening for September 28 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., following earlier September sessions in Sacramento and Fresno. The Department described the events as opportunities for hands-on learning, collaboration, networking, and problem-solving for assessment personnel.
CDE has separately made the 2026–27 California Assessment Accessibility Resource Matrix and updated accessibility guidance available for CAASPP and ELPAC. The resources cover embedded and nonembedded tools, designated supports, accommodations, test configurations, and administration for students with visual impairments.
What This Means
Testing accessibility should be planned before testing week. CDE explicitly encourages teachers to review accessibility resources early and allow students to experience relevant tools during ordinary classroom instruction and assessment.
That principle is educationally important because an unfamiliar accommodation can become a new barrier. A student should not encounter a support for the first time during a high-stakes assessment and be expected to know immediately how to use it effectively.
Who This Affects
Students with disabilities may use accommodations specified through eligible IEP or Section 504 processes. English learners and other students may also qualify for designated supports depending on the resource and state rules.
Teachers, special educators, testing coordinators, administrators, and families all have roles. Errors can occur when one team assumes someone else has entered the correct setting, communicated the accommodation, or checked whether the student is comfortable using it.
Understanding the Four Categories
Universal tools are available broadly based on student preference or selection. Designated supports require an educator or team determination, with student and family input where appropriate, or may be documented in an IEP or 504 plan.
Accommodations must be permitted for eligible students when specified in the student’s IEP or 504 plan. CDE also recognizes certain unlisted nonembedded resources, but those require the relevant plan and state approval.
Accessibility Is Not the Same as Lowering Expectations
A student who uses braille, text-to-speech where permitted, specialized presentation settings, or another approved support is not necessarily being assessed on easier academic standards. The purpose of an appropriate accommodation is often to provide access to the same construct through a format the student can meaningfully use.
That distinction is especially important for public understanding. Accessibility should be evaluated by whether it removes an irrelevant barrier without changing what the assessment is supposed to measure.
What This Does Not Mean
The September 28 convening does not create a new entitlement to every available assessment resource. Eligibility and use depend on the category of support and the student’s circumstances.
It also does not mean every classroom support can automatically be used on every statewide test. Schools need to check the current California matrix and assessment guidance rather than assuming that an instructional practice is permitted in the same form during state testing.
The Bigger Picture
Standardized testing creates a difficult equity challenge. States want comparable results, but students do not all interact with text, speech, technology, language, vision, mobility, or communication in identical ways.
A well-designed accessibility framework tries to balance those realities. Too little access can make a test measure disability-related barriers rather than academic knowledge, while inappropriate assistance can alter the construct and weaken the meaning of the result.
What Happens Next
Schools should use the months before testing to review student plans, confirm test settings, communicate with families, and give students meaningful experience with approved resources. Testing coordinators should also verify that digital settings are entered correctly rather than assuming documentation automatically transfers into the testing platform.
California will continue providing CAASPP and ELPAC guidance as the testing cycle approaches. Districts and charter schools should rely on current state documentation because accessibility rules and technology configurations can change.
Why This Matters
An assessment result has educational consequences only if it measures the student reasonably well. When access barriers distort performance, schools may make decisions from data that do not accurately describe what the student knows.
California’s September 28 convening is therefore not merely about testing logistics. It is part of the larger challenge of making statewide assessment both comparable and meaningfully accessible.
Key Takeaways
California held a charter-school assessment convening in Los Angeles on September 28.
CDE has updated the 2026–27 CAASPP and ELPAC accessibility resources.
California distinguishes among universal tools, designated supports, accommodations, and unlisted resources.
Accommodations for eligible students can be tied to IEP and Section 504 documentation.
CDE encourages educators to familiarize students with supports before statewide testing.
Accessibility does not automatically mean lowering academic expectations.
The convening itself does not create new legal entitlements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CAASPP?
CAASPP is California’s statewide assessment system covering several academic assessments. It includes accessibility resources intended to help eligible students meaningfully access testing.
What is ELPAC?
ELPAC is California’s English-language-proficiency assessment system. Accessibility supports are also available within ELPAC according to state rules.
Can any student receive an accommodation?
No. California distinguishes accommodations from broadly available tools and designated supports, and formal accommodations are tied to eligibility requirements such as an IEP or Section 504 plan.
Should students practice using testing supports?
Yes. CDE encourages educators to expose students to relevant accessibility resources during instruction and classroom assessment before statewide testing.
Final Thoughts
Testing fairness does not mean giving every student an identical screen and pretending every student encounters that screen in the same way. It means designing a system that measures the intended knowledge as cleanly as possible while respecting legitimate access needs.
That requires planning long before test day. California’s September 28 convening is a reminder that accessibility becomes real through implementation, not simply through policy documents.
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Sources
California Department of Education — Assessment Spotlight Issue 376
https://www.cde.ca.gov/Ta/tg/sa/assessmentspotlight376.asp
California Department of Education — Student Accessibility Resources
https://www.cde.ca.gov/TA/tg/ca/accesssupport.asp
California Department of Education — Assessment Accessibility Resources Matrix
