It’s wonderful to have you with us for the latest edition of the ELPA21 Insider Newsletter! As many of you head into a well-deserved summer break, we want to extend our gratitude for your dedication to multilingual learners throughout a busy and often challenging year. In these uncertain times, amid evolving federal funding landscapes and shifting conversations around the future of multilingual learner programs, your work remains not only vital but deeply inspiring. ELPA21 is proud to support the educators, administrators, program directors, students, and families navigating this complex moment with resilience and care. We thank you for all that you do!
In this issue, we share highlights from the 2024–25 Test Administrator Surveys, recap our presentations at two national conferences, and introduce the latest classroom resource from our friends at UCLA CRESST for Multilingual Learners. Read on to find out more about what’s in store!
Highlights from the 2024–25 ELPA21 Test Administrator Surveys
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the educators, assessment coordinators, and support staff who participated in this year’s ELPA21 and Alt ELPA test administrator surveys. Your feedback offers an invaluable look into how these assessments are being implemented across states to support English learners and their educators.
Across both surveys, we saw strong representation from experienced professionals: nearly half of general ELPA respondents and over 60% of Alternate ELPA respondents reported serving as test administrators for three years or more. Most also work directly with the students they assess, reinforcing the deep connection between classroom practice and assessment administration. Test administrators reported serving students across all grade levels, with particularly strong participation in elementary grades.
Support materials and training resources received high marks. On the general ELPA, 77% agreed that the online training prepared them well, and 79% found the Test Administration Manual clear and useful. Similar trends appeared in the Alternate ELPA survey, where more than 70% of respondents reported that the training and administration materials supported their work. Use of practice tests was also high, with over 60% of general ELPA administrators and more than half of alternate administrators saying nearly all of their students participated in practice testing prior to the summative.
Notably, two-thirds of general ELPA participants said the newly shortened test length positively impacted administration and student experience. On the Alternate ELPA, 81% of respondents who received score reports said they used them to inform instruction, an encouraging sign of data being put into action at the classroom level!
We’re grateful to each of you who took the time to share your experiences. Your input not only helps us understand what’s working well but also guides improvements that make these assessments more meaningful, accessible, and effective for the students we all serve. Thank you for your continued partnership, collaboration, and commitment to supporting English learners.
ELPA21 Shares Research and Insights at the 2025 NCME and NCSA Conferences
Conference season continues, and ELPA21 has been fortunate to share research and findings at two recent national conferences in Denver, Colorado.
In April, Li Cai, Director of the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST), and Eunhee Keum, Lead Psychometrician for ELPA21, presented at the 2025 National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) Conference. Their session focused on measuring growth within the context of alternate English language proficiency assessments.
More recently, a team of ELPA21 leaders, researchers, and board members returned to Denver for the 2025 National Conference on Student Assessment (NCSA), where they presented three sessions highlighting advances in English language proficiency assessment and innovations in test design. Topics included the use of emerging AI techniques to improve the fairness and accessibility of test questions; identifying students who may benefit from alternate ELP screeners; and evaluating the implications of shorter test lengths from content, psychometric, and practical perspectives.
We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to the educators, administrators, and researchers who attended our sessions, and to the organizers of the NCME and NCSA conferences for the opportunity to take part. Sharing our work in these forums is an essential step in ensuring our assessments continue to evolve in ways that best support the multilingual learners and educators we serve.
Now Available: ELP Performance Measures Volume 3
The latest release in the ELP Performance Measures series from UCLA CRESST for Multilingual Learners is here! Volume 3: Sequencing & Prediction offers educators a practical and efficient way to assess student understanding across language domains. With a focus on the language functions of sequencing events and making predictions, this resource is ideal for quick, formative checks of student progress.
Featuring 48 tasks (two per grade level and domain), these performance measures are designed to reflect real-world classroom testing conditions while remaining easy to use. Each set includes a binder-ready hard copy with cover page, tasks, and instructions, as well as a digital download with printable student pages and reusable scoring rubrics. Listening tasks include audio options, and all activities begin with simple, clear directions to support smooth implementation.
Created with educators in mind—from K–12 teachers and ELD specialists to state education agencies and teacher prep programs—this grab-and-go resource helps support language development in meaningful, measurable ways.
Thank You
As always, thank you for reading, and thank you for the critical work you do each day to support multilingual learners and their success. We’re honored to be in partnership with you and look forward to continuing this important work together. Keep an eye out for the next edition of the ELPA21 newsletter just before Labor Day, as we gear up for the 2025–26 school year! Until then, we wish you a restful and restorative summer.