English Language Proficiency (ELP) Assessments
English language proficiency (ELP) assessments are used to measure students’ reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills defined in states’ English language proficiency standards.
ELP assessments have two main purposes. One is for a district or school to help identify English learners who are eligible for services and those who can exit from services.
A second purpose of ELP assessments is for states to annually track the English proficiency of students already identified as English learners, and to include the percentage of English learners reaching proficiency each year for Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) accountability. State assessments measure whether English learners attain English proficiency so that they have the opportunity to meet the same challenging content achievement standards as their peers. Most English learners will take the general ELP assessment. Some English learners with the most significant cognitive disabilities may participate in an alternate assessment of English language proficiency (Alt-ELP).
With the emphasis on challenging academic content standards, ELP assessments will be linked to more rigorous standards of English language arts, mathematics, and other content.