English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century

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Assessing English Learners (ELs)

Title I and Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act, require states and schools to be accountable for addressing the needs of English learners (ELs). One important aspect of this accountability involves assessments of English language proficiency (ELP) used to track students’ progress in learning the English language. Data from the English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21) can help inform program evaluation and improvement. Iowa Administrative Code 281-60 further defines school district responsibilities for assessing and serving ELs. Students exit EL status upon achieving proficiency on the ELP assessment. The guidance below outlines district responsibilities regarding the identification and assessment of ELs in Iowa.

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ELPA21 Updates

Sign up to receive periodic updates about ELPA21 and the Assessment Newsletter.

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About ELPA21

The ELPA21 state collaborative, housed at the National Center on Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST), housed at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), is a group of states committed to supporting educators, member states and the public in the adoption of English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards and college- and career-ready standards. The ELPA21 collaborative has developed an assessment system based on the ELP Standards that informs instruction so all ELs leave high school prepared for college and career success.

The ELPA21 assessment system includes a set of English language proficiency standards, placement screeners, summative measures of English language proficiency and professional learning modules supporting the implementation of Iowa’s ELP standards. Information about the consortium can be found at https://elpa21.org/.

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ELPA21 Standards and Assessment

The ELPA21 is the standardized instrument used to measure English language proficiency and annual progress toward English proficiency for students in grades K-12 in the state of Iowa. This assessment is tightly aligned to Iowa's ELP standards and corresponds to the Iowa Academic Standards. The ELPA21 test forms were developed to cover six grade bands: K, 1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-8, and 9-12.

The ELPA21 is an online assessment measuring English proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking. The consortium uses the Cambium Assessment Incorporated (CAI) testing platform and expertise in administering the largely online ELP assessments. Most of the test is scored online, while those test items requiring human scoring (speaking and some writing) are scored with a centralized scoring process.

Mandatory training is provided each school year, beginning in late fall, for test administrators.

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ELPA21 Dynamic Screener

The ELPA21 Dynamic Screener is the instrument required to be used in the EL identification process. Students are administered the Dynamic Screener if it is indicated that a language other than English is prominently spoken in the home (Iowa Administrative Code 281-60). Students not scoring proficient on the screener are to be identified for English development services. For students requiring an alternate form of the screener, the Alt ELPA screener may be approved for students with significant cognitive disabilities. For information on determining eligibility, consult the Alt ELPA Screener Inclusion Criteria.

Required training for administering the screeners is available at the beginning of each school year. Resources for administering the screeners are found on the Iowa ELPA21 Portal. 

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ELPA21 Summative Tests

The ELPA21 summative assessment is administered annually in Iowa schools during an eight-week window from February through March. All ELs in grades K-12 are required to take the annual assessment.

Each test form includes a wide variety of test items:

  • Selected-response items require students to select one or more responses from a list of options.
  • Technology-enhanced items, comprising at least 20 percent of the assessment items, require students to respond to questions by interacting with the test item. For example, a student might place words in the appropriate order, select text in a paragraph, or match objects to words.
  • Constructed-response items require students to provide text or record speech or respond to a task, and include both short and long constructed-response items.

In addition, some of the items use digital media (sound, animation, video, or interactive widgets) as the setting for the test question.

Resources for administering the screener are found on the Iowa ELPA21 Portal. 

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ELPA21 Accommodations

ELPA21 believes that all ELs should have access to assessments that accurately measure the skills they need to progress toward English language proficiency. Equitable access to the ELPA21 assessment ensures valid data and useful information that help parents, educators, and school administrators meet the needs of each student.

ELPA21 Test Accessibility and Accommodations Manual  â€“ Describes the accessibility features that ELPA21 has available to all students, as well as accommodations designed for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 Plans. IEP teams and educators informing 504 plans should make decisions about accessibility features and accommodations on an individual student basis.  For ELs with disabilities, these teams should include an expert in the area of second-language acquisition.

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Alt ELPA

English learners with the most significant cognitive disabilities are expected to take the Alt ELPA assessment to measure their progress in learning English.  Students participating in the Alt ELPA will meet the state's annual English language testing requirement and, as a result, will not be expected to take the general ELPA21 summative assessment.  The Alt ELPA is aligned to the ELP Standards for English Learners with Significant Cognitive Disabilities. This set of standards guides classroom instruction and forms the basis of the test's design. The Alt ELPA Accommodations and Accessibility Manual describes the accessibility supports allowed for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who are taking the Alt ELPA assessment. For more information, see the Alternate English Language Proficiency Assessment Guidelines.

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Resources for Parents and Teachers of ELs

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