(QUSA) to Administer Online Field Test for ELPA21 Consortium

APPLE VALLEY, Minn., Aug. 27, 2014  — The English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21^st Century consortium (ELPA21) has chosen Questar Assessment, Inc. to produce a field test to collect information that will be used to guide the development of its first English Language Proficiency (ELP) Assessment.

ELPA21, a consortium of 11 states — Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington, and West Virginia — is developing this assessment system based on a new set of ELP standards developed in 2013. The new standards were stablished by education and assessment experts at WestEd to assess ELLs’ English language proficiency and correspond to states’ rigorous content standards in English language arts, mathematics and science. ELPA21’s assessment will be used to gauge how students reach these standards. Questar Assessment’s field test will measure the performance of ELLs in grades K–12 in the four domains of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Scheduled for online administration in February and March 2015 on Questar Assessment’s next generation online delivery platform, the field test will be scored and items analyzed to inform the construction of the ELPA21 assessment used by each state in the consortium during the 2015–16 school year. In addition, technical reports about the field test and standard setting will be submitted to the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) in the Fall of 2015.

“We’re excited to support ELPA21’s goals to assess and better support learning for English Language Learners,” said Jamie Post Candee, President and Chief Executive Officer of Questar Assessment, Inc. “We’re looking forward to applying our industry-leading, online assessment platform to help advance the ELP assessment for the ELPA21 consortium.”

Questar Assessment brings relevant ELL assessment expertise to the partnership. Previously, it conducted ELL assessment for Florida, Idaho, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New York, and Utah, and scoring for the University of Michigan.

About Questar Assessment, Inc.

Questar Assessment, Inc. is a leading educational assessment provider for states, schools, and school districts. Headquartered in Minnesota, Questar offers comprehensive custom assessment services—from large-scale statewide assessment programs to alternate, modified, and English language proficiency assessments. Questar provides complete, end-to-end services designed to address all aspects of assessment: from test design, development, calibration, and psychometric services to print production, distribution, scanning, scoring, reporting, and data analysis. Questar also offers customized online testing services to schools and educational entities in the K–12 market. For further information, visit www.QuestarAI.com or call 1-800-800-2598.

About ELPA21

ELPA21 is a consortium of 11 states developing an assessment system to equip English language learners, teachers, and families with the tools and supports students need for college and career readiness. The consortium—Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington, and West Virginia—is basing its assessment system on the new English Language Proficiency Standards, which reflect the recent research and progress made in the study and development of English language proficiency. ELPA21 is collaborating with the Understanding Language Initiative of Stanford University, the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing of the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Council of Chief State School Officers. The Oregon Department of Education is the lead state agency, and CCSSO is the project management partner. Please visit www.elpa21.org for more information.