Project Description:
ELPA21 is a project that is developing an English Language Proficiency Assessment for a consortium of 11 states. The ELPA21 assessment will measure student proficiency in the new ELP Standards that correspond to the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards. The major deliverables of ELPA21 are a screener and a summative assessment. The screener will be developed for each of six grades/grade bands (K, 1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-8, and 9-12) and will be available for schools to assess baseline English language proficiency of incoming ELLs. It will be used to inform placement and make instructional decisions. The summative assessment will be administered near the end of the academic year online. ELPA21 will report on the four language domains (i.e., reading, writing, speaking, and listening) and language comprehension.
NCEO's role in the project is to serve as lead of the Administration, Accessibility, and Accommodations (AAA) Task Management Team (TMT). This entails both ensuring that all of the states in the consortium agree to a common definition of English language learner (ELL) and develop a common set of accommodations across states. The NCEO team is also developing guides for administration, accessibility, and accommodations, as well as professional development materials for the states in the consortium. The needs of ELLs with disabilities are incorporated into NCEOs contributions to the project. NCEO collaborates with other project teams on the identification of assessment claims, item writing training, review of items, and implementation checks.
The expected benefits of ELPA21 are the development of assessments that produce valid and reliable results for English language learners, including ELLs with disabilities.
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Limited English
