English Language Proficiency Assessment Consortia

Federal grants totaling $16.8 million were awarded in 2011 and 2012 to two consortia of states — the Assessment Services Supporting ELs through Technology Systems (ASSETS) and the English Language Proficiency for the 21st Century (ELPA21) Consortium — to design and develop next generation assessment of English language proficiency. The K–12 Center has created summaries and illustrations of the designs of the two alternate assessment consortia, which have been approved by the consortia.

Summary Report for Policymakers about English Language Proficiency Assessments, finalized in December 2014, summarizes emerging research and presents recommendations for policymakers and the research community.

• ELP Summary Report (PDF)

One-page summaries updated in 2014 can be found here:

• The ASSETS System (PDF)
• The ELPA21 System (PDF)

More detailed descriptions can be found in our guide to the Consortia, Coming Together to Raise Achievement: New Assessments for the Common Core State Standards (PDF) (March 2014, Revised). The section about each consortium (ASSETS and ELPA21) can be found here:

• Summary of the ASSETS System: pages 47–51 (PDF)
• Summary of the ELPA21 System: pages 52–56 (PDF)

View the presentation materials from a June 10–11, 2014, research meeting on English-Language Proficiency (ELP) summative assessments and ELP formative assessment.

Additional Information About the Grant

The purpose of the Enhanced Assessment Grant (EAG) program is to improve the quality of assessments used by states for measuring the academic achievement of students in grades K–12.
The 2011 competition for EAG funds supported the development of next generation assessments of English proficiency by consortia of 15 or more states. These new assessments must measure students’ proficiency against a set of commonly held English Language Proficiency standards that correspond to a set of college- and career-ready standards in English language arts and Mathematics. 

In addition to producing results that are valid, reliable and fair for its intended purpose, the new assessment system had to meet additional criteria including:

• Be based on a common definition of English learner adopted by all Consortium states;
• Include diagnostic (e.g. screener or placement) and summative assessments;
• Assess English language proficiency across the four language domains of reading, writing, speaking and listening for each grade level from kindergarten through grade 12;
• Produce results that indicate whether individual students have attained a level and complexity of English proficiency that is necessary to participate fully in academic instruction in English;
• Be accessible to all English learners with the exception of those who are eligible for alternate assessments based on alternate academic standards; and
• Use technology to the maximum extent appropriate to develop, administer and score assessments.

Recipients of the grants have four years to complete the development of the new assessment systems.

The U.S. Department of Education's Notice Inviting Applications for this grant can be found here.

For further information, contact Collette Roney:

Address:
Enhanced Assessment Grants Program
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
U.S. Department of Education
Room 3W210
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-6132

Telephone: 1-202-401-5245
Email: [email protected]