Print  |  Close

General Information

All students can participate in EL Civics instruction and assessment. However, only ESL students in WIOA II EL Civics education programs can earn payment points for passing COAAP assessments. ABE, ASE, and CTE students can earn CAEP Immigrant Integration Indicator (I3) outcome for CAEP but not payment points for WIOA II. Please see Successful Implementation of COAAPs for CAEP Agencies for a crosswalk for ABE/ASE/CTE student placement into ESL COAAP instructional levels.
Civic Objective#: 77 Program Year: 2025-2026
Civic Objective: Demonstrate the language and literacy skills necessary to effectively participate in workforce training in para education.
TOPSpro Form #: 771C AAP #: 77.1
Assessment Type: Oral, Written

Level Range

From: Beginning High To: Advanced

Language and Literacy Objectives

Language and literacy objectives with an asterisk (*) are suitable for beginning low level students.
1 Identify and/or describe strategies para educators can use to address students’ behavior.
2 Describe a student’s development and/or behavior (e.g. abilities, interests, routines, needs, socialization skills, progress, etc.).
3 Identify, discuss, and employ behavior management and communication strategies useful for working with students of different ages.
4 Demonstrate the ability to write on a para educator-related topic.

Additional Assessment Plan Tasks

Task: 1

Description: Employ Communication Strategies Useful for Working with Students of Various Ages

Content A (6 items, 6 points possible)

Given level-appropriate prompts/scenarios (BH=4, IL=5, IH-A=6) each demonstrating an interaction between a student and provider (e.g., Paraeducator, Instructional Assistant/Aide, Independence Facilitator, etc.), student will determine an age-appropriate communication strategy orally or in writing.

Example Strategies:
• Use choice question
• Give one simple direction
• Use redirection

Content B (6 items, 12 points possible)
Using the prompts/scenarios in Content A, student will articulate a response for each (BH=4, IL=5, IH-A=6) orally or in writing that incorporates the identified communication strategy using accurate and age-appropriate language. Student (IH-A) will provide a more robust model of language use, using descriptive talk (or descriptive narration).

Sample Responses (For a more extensive list of examples, please see the document List of Sample Responses, COAAP 77.1 Task 1 Content B under the Instructional Resources section of the California Civic Participation and IELCE page of the CASAS website):

Use Choice Questions:
Elementary School Level
BH: Do you want to read or finish your homework?
IL: After the test, do you want to read or start working on homework?
IH-Adv: When you’re done taking the test, would you like silent reading time or time to begin completing today’s homework assignment?

Use Redirection:
Middle School Level
BH: You can focus better if you sit over here.
IL: It looks like you are not able to focus on your work. Please come sit at the front of the classroom.
IH-Adv: I notice you are having a hard time focusing. Would you like to sit at a different table that is closer to the front of the classroom?

Optimally, the writing task will be created on a computer and submitted to the assessor electronically.

Points Possible:18Level:Beginning High - Advanced
Scoring Rubric Points
Content A
Identifies strategy clearly. 1
No strategy identified or strategy unclear. 0
Content B
Response is level-appropriate, clear, complete, and has correct content. There may be errors, but they do not interfere with meaning. 2
Response is level-appropriate and has correct content. It may be partially complete. There may be errors that interfere with meaning, but the statement can be understood with inference. 1
Response is inappropriate, incomprehensible, or incorrect, or there is no statement. 0

Task: 2

Description: Write about a Communication Strategy (BH)
Using student’s knowledge about Communication Strategies used in Task 1, student will write a level-appropriate simple paragraph of at least 3 sentences which includes a title and information such as (1) identify one strategy, (2) identify when they will use it and (3) identify what will happen when they use it.

Optimally, the writing task will be created on a computer and submitted to the assessor electronically.

Points Possible:13Level:Beginning High - Beginning High
Scoring Rubric Points
Content
Addresses all parts of the task effectively. At least three sentences are written. The sentences are comprehensible and related to the topic. May contain minor errors that do not interfere with comprehension. 8
Addresses all parts of the task adequately. At least three sentences are written. Some sentences may require inference to understand. 6
Addresses the task generally, but relationship to topic is evident. Some sentences may require a substantial degree of inference to understand. There may be fewer than three sentences written. 4
Nothing written or content is incomprehensible or completely inappropriate. 0
Grammar, Structure and Mechanics
Grammar, structure and capitalization are mostly correct; most of the words are spelled correctly. 3
Writing contains some errors in grammar, structure, capitalization or spelling that may slow comprehension, but meaning can be understood. 2
Writing contains errors in grammar, structure, capitalization, spelling, or punctuation that require the reader to use significant inference to understand meaning. 1
Writing is incomprehensible or task is not complete. 0
Format, Neatness and Legibility
Paragraph(s) form (i.e. title, indentation, margins) is correct. Writing is neat and legible, if applicable. 2
Paragraph(s) form (i.e. title, indentation, margins) is mostly correct. Writing is mostly neat and legible, if applicable. 1
Form is not recognizable and/or writing is not legible or neat. 0

Task: 3

Description: Write about a Communication Strategy (IL)
Using student’s knowledge about Communication Strategies used in Task 1, student will write a level-appropriate paragraph of at least 5 sentences which includes a title, a topic sentence, concluding sentence, and information such as (1) describe one strategy, (2) describe when they will use it and (3) describe what will happen when they use it. Include relevant details.

Optimally, the writing task will be created on a computer and submitted to the assessor electronically.

Points Possible:17Level:Intermediate Low - Intermediate Low
Scoring Rubric Points
Content
Addresses all parts of the task effectively in one paragraph. Ideas are comprehensible and clearly related to the topic. At least five sentences are written. Topic sentence, supporting details and concluding sentence are identifiable. May contain a few errors that do not interfere with comprehension. 10
Addresses all parts of the task adequately in one paragraph. The sentences are comprehensible and related to the topic. At least four sentences are written. A topic sentence, details and concluding sentence are present. May contain some errors that do not interfere with comprehension. 8
Addresses the task in a general way. The writing may lack a topic sentence, supporting details or a concluding sentence. At least four sentences are identifiable. May contain some errors that interfere with comprehension. 6
Nothing written or content is incomprehensible or completely inappropriate. 0
Grammar, Structure and Mechanics
Writing may contain some errors in grammar, structure, spelling, and/or capitalization that may slow comprehension and/or distract the reader but errors do not require inference for understanding. 4
Writing may contain grammatical errors that require the reader to infer meaning. There may be spelling, capitalization and/or punctuation errors that slow comprehension. 3
Writing contains errors in grammar, structure, spelling, capitalization or punctuation that require the reader to use significant inference to understand meaning. 2
Errors in grammar, structure, spelling, capitalization or punctuation make the writing incomprehensible. 0
Format, Neatness and Legibility
Paragraph(s) form (i.e. title, indentation, margins) is correct. Writing is neat and legible, if applicable. 3
Paragraph(s) form (i.e. title, indentation, margins) is mostly correct. Writing is mostly neat and legible, if applicable. 2
Form is not recognizable and/or writing is not legible, if applicable. 0

Task: 4

Description: Write about a Communication Strategy (IH-Adv)

Using student’s knowledge about Communication Strategies used in Task 1, student will write a 3 to 5 paragraph essay responding to a prompt such as:

It is important that school personnel working in a classroom setting are familiar with and can apply a variety of communication strategies to have positive interactions with students. What are some communication strategies and how might school personnel implement these?

The 3 to 5 paragraph essay will contain elements such as:
1. Clearly stated thesis or main idea.
2. Relevant details and examples in support of the thesis/main idea.
3. Ideas that are well organized and well-developed with effective transitions.
4. Word choice which demonstrates variety and richness of expression.
5. Appropriate grammar and mechanics.

Optimally, the writing task will be created on a computer and submitted to the assessor electronically.

Points Possible:27Level:Intermediate High - Advanced
Scoring Rubric Points
Content
Level Adv: Addresses all parts of the task effectively. There are at least 3-5 paragraphs, each with a clear topic sentence and supporting sentences with concrete examples. There are appropriate transition words and a relevant concluding paragraph. The essay shows good comprehension of the topic. 18
Level Adv: Addresses all parts of the task adequately. There are at least 3-5 paragraphs each with a topic sentence and supporting sentences with examples. There are transition words and a concluding paragraph. Contains some relevant details. Some ideas may not be well stated. May require minimal interference. Written in adequately-organized paragraph(s). 16
Level Adv: Addresses the task generally, but may have gaps. Contains at least 3 paragraphs. Many ideas may not be well stated. May lack appropriate or sufficient detail or clear focus. Requires some inference. May be loosely organized. OR Level IH: Addresses all parts of the task effectively in at least 3 paragraphs. The topic sentences, supporting details and conclusion of the composition are easily identified and clearly related to the topic. 14
Level IH: Addresses the task adequately in at least 3 paragraphs. The topic sentences, supporting details and conclusion are identifiable. Some ideas require inference, but can be understood and are mostly related to the topic. 12
Level IH: Addresses task generally, but ideas may require inference to understand, and some sentences may not be clearly related to topic. The topic sentences, supporting details or conclusion are not present, or can only be minimally identified even with effort. May be less than 3 paragraphs. 10
Levels IH, Adv: Nothing written or content is incomprehensible or completely inappropriate. 0
Grammar, Structure and Mechanics
Level Adv: Writing contains almost no errors in grammar, structure, spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. 6
Levels IH, Adv: Writing contains only minor errors in grammar and/or structure that do not interfere with understanding and/or minor errors in spelling, capitalization, or punctuation that do not distract the reader. 5
Levels IH, Adv: Writing may contain some errors in grammar, structure, spelling, capitalization, and/or spelling that may slow comprehension, but errors do not require inference for understanding. 4
Levels IH, Adv: Writing contains grammatical errors that require the reader to infer meaning. There may be spelling, capitalization and/or punctuation errors that slow comprehension. 3
Level IH: The writing contains errors in grammar, structure, spelling, capitalization or punctuation that require the reader to use significant inference to understand meaning. 2
Levels IH, Adv: Writing is incomprehensible or task is not completed. 0
Format, Neatness and Legibility
Levels IH, Adv: Paragraph(s) form (i.e. title, indentation, margins) is correct. Writing is neat and legible, if applicable. 3
Levels IH, Adv: Paragraph(s) form (i.e. title, indentation, margins) is mostly correct. Writing is mostly neat and legible. 2
Levels IH, Adv: Form is not recognizable and/or writing is not legible. 0

Rating Scale/Passing Scores

Total Points Possible: 45
Advanced: 41
Intermediate High: 32
Intermediate Low: 23
Beginning High: 15
Beginning Low:
View Civic Obj & AAP List