1. English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21)
Hello, my name is Michelle McCoy and this is the English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century training module for the school year which is required for all district and school test coordinators, as well as ELPA21 test administrators.
During this training module, I will use both “ELPA” and “ELPA21” interchangeably to refer to this summative English Language Proficiency Assessment for Oregon.
Required for DTCs, STCs, and ELPA21 TAs

2. Topics Scheduling Administration Key Elements Best Practices
Here are the topics that this module will be covering

3. Purpose and Use
ELPA21 measures the proficiency of English Learners (ELs) in reading, writing, speaking and listening English based on Oregon’s English Language Proficiency Standards.
Used as part of Title I accountability to document which students are Limited English Proficient and Title III Accountability incorporated into the Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAO).
Required for all students eligible to receive English Language Development (ELD) services.
The purpose and use of the ELPA summative comes from Title III rules.
The EL Program Guide is located on ODE’s Title III web page. The page link is provided at the end of this testing module for easy reference.
EL Program Guide

4. Equitable access for all students
Scheduling
Equitable access for all students
First, we’ll talk about the ELPA21 schedule for

5. Test Schedule and Scoring
Scheduling
Test Schedule and Scoring
ELPA21 test window:
January 10 – April 13
Each test opportunity is subject to a 45-day expiration period and expired assessments are not re-opened.
The testing window for the online assessment is planned for 1/10/17 through 4/13/17.
The window was adjusted slightly, to close on Thursday 4/13/17, adding 2 days due to some downtime that we will experience during the ELPA window. As always, there is a 45-day expiration period. The count of days begins from the date of the student’s first log-in for the ELPA.
If your district has a student that will participate in the ELPA21 Braille paper/pencil assessment, please plan for that testing to occur later in the window. When a district requests a Braille ELPA21, ODE will contact the DTC with further information about availability of that test form during the ELPA21 window.
TAM, Appendix A: Test Schedule
TAM, Section 9.5: Student Directions

6. Single test with two segments
Scheduling
ELPA21Components
Single test with two segments
Segment 1 – Reading, Writing and Listening domains in random order
Segment 2 – Speaking domain
For , ODE and its test vendor (American Institutes for Research/AIR) anticipate that the ELPA21 will be in two segments this year. The first segment will account for 3 domains: reading, writing, and listening. The second segment will be the Speaking domain.
(TAM: 9.1 Components of ELPA21)

7. Before Testing Identify students to be tested
Scheduling
Before Testing
Identify students to be tested
Make sure you have the correct SSID for each student
Make sure each student’s LEP flag is set to “Y” in TIDE
Verify that any domain exemptions are programmed in TIDE before starting the test
Provide students with opportunities to become familiar with the test format and technology
Check headsets to ensure they are properly installed and functioning correctly
Use the Practice Test or the AIR diagnostic tool to check headsets
Prior to testing, please review the settings for the students to ensure that students who were reclassified out of the EL program during have an LEP code of “N” (because they should not participate in the ELPA during 16-17), and all in-program ELs have the flag set to Y. The ELPA will not appear in a student’s list of tests if the LEP code is set to N.
Domain exemptions are allowed on the Oregon ELPA – up to 3 of the 4 domains may be exempted, as per the IEP team decision making. This must be reflected in the student’s IEP prior to starting the test. The exemptions should be verified before the student logs in and starts the test.
All students who are participating in the ELPA should have multiple opportunities to practice. This is also a great opportunity for school staff to verify that their ELPA headsets are functioning correctly and that the volume is set to an appropriate level.
TAM, Section 9.4: Administration Procedure

8. Administration
Ensure students have sufficient time to complete all assigned segments of the assessment.

9. Test Administration Administration TAM, Section 6.2: Preparing
Monitor to ensure that students only have access to the allowable resources listed in the Oregon Accessibility Manual (OAM)
If breaking up the test into multiple sessions, allow students to finish all presented items on the screen before pausing the test.
For the ELPA21 Speaking domain, students may receive a pop- up warning if the recorded response is too soft. Students can play back their responses to verify before moving on, and can re-record if necessary.
Note: For tasks with multiple recordings, the warning will come at the end of the group of recordings and will list the item numbers that potentially have recordings that are perceived as too soft by the computer. Students should then go back to the items listed and replay/re-record if they choose.
In Section 6.0 of the Oregon Accessibility Manual, you will find the ELPA21 accessibility supports tables. Please review these tables prior to testing, and remember to ensure that each student has access only to allowable resources.
Since , the ELPA test delivery system has had a “too soft” warning for the speaking recordings. Although our test vendor has it set at optimal levels for the overall system, local technology and volume settings at the school level can affect how often a student receives this warning when making the recordings. Remember that if a student gets the “too soft” warning, there is no obligation for them to re-record. Best practice is that the student should playback the recording. If he or she is satisfied with the recording, there is no reason to re-record. If the recording is garbled or inaudible, best practice is to re-record, but this is the student’s choice at that time.
For some ELPA21 speaking tasks, there are clustered, or grouped, speaking items – if the computer system perceives that one (or all) of the clustered recordings are too soft, the pop up warning will include the test question number that caused the warning. The student can then go back to that item (or items, if more than one in the group), and follow the best practices I outlined a moment ago.
If the warning message appears again after the student has re-recorded and/or is satisfied with the response, the student is allowed to move on. There is never a reason to cause a student to re-record over and over again if the response is audible and the student is satisfied. The required verbatim instructions for students provided in the TAM now include this information to try to reduce the number of times students re-record when it is unnecessary.
TAM, Section 6.2: Preparing
TAM, Section 5.0: Scheduling

10. Test Administration (cont.)
For students whose IEP or 504 Plan exempts them from a domain, enter the domain exemption in TIDE as a restricted resource prior to approving the student to test.
All domain exemptions that were programmed during have been removed from TIDE.
When in doubt, do not start the ELPA21.
As previously noted, domain exemptions from a student’s IEP must be pre-programmed before the student begins the ELPA. If the student begins the ELPA with inappropriate domains being administered, this must be reported. The student should not be inappropriately tested. Please review the TAM for additional information on this topic. Also, note that it generally takes at least 1 business day for a recently-programmed domain exemption to appear correctly for the student -- It is not instantaneous. If there is any doubt about which domain exemptions a student on an IEP should have, do not start the ELPA. Verify the correct exemptions are programmed prior to allowing the student to begin the test.
Of note, remember that the IEP that is in force when the student started the ELPA is the IEP that governs any domain exemptions. If the domain exemptions are changed (due to the scheduling of the annual IEP meeting), but the student has already started the test, the IEP that was in force on the start date that the student logged in to start the ELPA dictates which domain exemptions the student should have. Although this procedure has been in force for many years, there is usually one or two cases of confusion about this each year.
If there is a potential conflict due to IEP meeting dates, do not have the student start the ELPA (thereby locking in the domain exemptions for that test). Instead have the student begin the test after the updated IEP is in force, but always keeping in mind the testing window ends on April 13th and the number of sessions that student might need to fully complete his/her ELPA by the test window closure date.
TAM, Section 9.3: Exempting Domains

11. Knowing the different resources across assessments.
Key Elements
Knowing the different resources across assessments.

12. Important dates to remember
Key Elements
Important dates to remember
English Learners can have different assessment requirements depending upon their original entry date into US schools
See Table 20 in Appendix B of the TAM for specific dates that may apply to your newcomer English Learners during
Newcomer English Learners may have different testing requirements for the content tests. Please see Table 20 for the listing of important dates and testing requirements, keeping in mind that all ELs must participate in the annual ELPA if the window is open and the student is officially identified as an EL during that time.
TAM, Appendix B: Administration Codes

13. Key Administration Points
Key Elements
Key Administration Points
An identified EL cannot be exempted from taking ELPA21. All identified ELs must participate.
Schools must use the ELPA21 for ALL students eligible for services under the ESEA criteria for an English Learner, regardless of whether the student actually receives services.
Reclassified students in Year 1 or Year 2 of monitor status should not participate in the ELPA21unless they were reclassified “late.”
No ELPA21 test items should ever be translated or read aloud.
As just mentioned, no identified EL can be exempted from participating in the annual ELPA. There are no “4-domain exemptions.” This is federal guidance that has been specifically in force for a number of years. Refer to the EL Program Guide for additional information on this topic
Always refer to the Oregon Accessibility Manual Section 6.0 ELPA21 for information on translations of directions only on the ELPA items. There is no read-aloud of passages or test questions for the ELPA, other than what is pre-programmed into the online test itself.
EL Program Guide

14. Ensure an optimal test environment for students
Best Practices
Ensure an optimal test environment for students

15. Best Practice Reminders
Best Practices
Best Practice Reminders
Familiarize yourself and your students ahead of testing about available accommodations and supports, especially for newcomer ELs.
The ELPA21 Consortium recommends smaller testing groups while students acclimate to the assessment. The recommended ratios are:
Grade Band
Number of students
Number of TAs
Kindergarten and Grade 1
1 to 5 1
Grade band 2-3
1 to 3
Grade band 4-5 8
Grade band 6-8 10
Grade band 9-12 20

16. Best Practices
Best Practices (cont.)
You may have students pause the ELPA21 at the end of the first segment (prior to the speaking domain), then have the student resume later, being sure to keep in mind the 45-day test expiration period.
You might choose to provide students with a name tag with picture to avoid confusion during the log-in process.

17. Q&A Discussion
What are the local considerations and challenges around scheduling ELPA21 within your school or district?
What are some effective approaches you could use to address these challenges?
What resources or strategies do you plan to use to prepare for administering ELPA21
This is an optional point in the required training to pause and discuss the questions provided or locally developed set of relevant questions. If you would like to pause, please pause now.
Suggested activities:
-Small groups: use post-its to capture local considerations and challenges, one per sheet. Mount post-its.
-Large group: facilitate review/summary of considerations/challenges from across the large group
-Small groups: share effective approaches, look at artifacts
-Large group: facilitate share out, writing down approaches via chart pack
-Small group or individual: use note organizer to capture take-homes, next steps

18. Online Resources ELPA21 Webpage http:www.ode.state.or.us/go/elpa21
Test Administration Manual, Section 9
Promising Practices:
OAKS Portal and Practice Tests:
Oregon Accessibility Manual:
EL Program Guide