View Content #20169

From http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/09/23/as-ell-tests-move-online-educators-hope.html

As ELL Tests Move Online, Educators Hope for Better Gauge of Skills
By Corey Mitchell

Two computer-based tests of English-language proficiency will debut this school year, ushering in a new era of online testing for millions of the nation's English-learners.

Leaders of the federally funded consortia that developed the exams are hopeful the tests will offer a more complete picture of how English-learners are grasping the language.

The World Class Instructional Design and Assessment Consortium, or WIDA, will launch its operational online test, ACCESS for ELLs 2.0, in November. The 36-state group shares English-language-proficiency standards and assessments for English-learners that are aligned with the Common Core State Standards.

The English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century consortium, known as ELPA 21, will roll out the new test for its 10 member states in February and March.

Primarily used to screen students for ELL services and to determine when they no longer require language instruction, the tests measure students' progress in learning to listen, speak, read, and write in English.

Read the full article at http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/09/23/as-ell-tests-move-online-educators-hope.html