ELPA21 Assessment
Nebraska’s English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21)
Nebraska is a member of the English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century, ELPA21, a group of states that designed and developed an assessment system for English learners. The system is based on the NE ELP Standards and addresses the language demands needed to reach college and career readiness. The ELPA21 assessment system currently includes screener and summative assessments. For a one-page quick guide for each of these assessments, click below:
ELPA21 Screener Guidance New Users (posted 12.3.2021)
ELPA21 Summative Guidance (posted 12.3.2021)
Cambium Assessments (CAI) is the vendor for the ELPA21 in Nebraska. All resources, materials, and system access for the screener and summative assessments can be found on the NE AIR portal at: https://ne.portal.cambiumast.com/
Nebraska ELPA21 Help Desk
Hours: 7:00AM to 7:00PM Central Time, Monday – Friday (except holidays)
Phone: 1.866.287.5617
Email: neelpa21helpdesk@cambiumassessment.com
Chat: https://ne.portal.cambiumast.com/contact.html
ELPA21 Resources – Enrichment Activities (posted 2.5.2021)
2021-2022 ELPA21 Important Dates
- November 1 – November 18, 2021 – Initial window to order summative paper, large print, and Braille Summative assessments
- January 11, 2022 – NDE data pull for ELPA 21 Summative Testing
- January 24 – March 7, 2022 – Additional window to order paper, large print, and Braille Summative assessments
- February 7 – March 18, 2022 – ELPA21 Summative Window
- February 21 – April 7, 2022 – ELPA21 Summative Non-Participation Codes Window
- Early May, 2022 – Summative scores available
- July 1, 2022 – Redesignate as English Fluent any ELs who tested proficient
Speaking
Kindergarten – updated 2020
Grade 1 – updated 2020
Grades 2-3 – updated 2020
Grades 4-5 – updated 2020
Grades 6-8 – updated 2020
Grades 9-12 – updated 2020
Writing
Kindergarten – old rubric for the paper-based supplement
Grade 1 – old rubric for the paper-based supplement
Grades 2-3 – updated 2020
Grades 4-5 – updated 2020
Grades 6-8 – updated 2020
Grades 9-12 – updated 2020
ELPA21 Quick Guide To Understanding Reports
Achievement Level Descriptors (ALDs) are available to use in interpreting the ELPA21 scores for both educators and parents. ALDs describe achievement in terms of skills measured and demonstrated on the ELPA21. They are broken out by domain and grade band. Also, included on the ALDs are the scale score ranges by specific grade. No translations are available this year.
Achievement Level Descriptors (ALDs), also known as Performance Level Descriptors, describe what students know and can do by domain based on the assessment. These indicators can be used by educators to target instruction for each of the four domains, and to inform parents and students of the expectations for students to be considered proficient in English at a particular grade level or grade band. The final Achievement Level Descriptors for ELPA21 are the result of the work of ELPA21 member-state education department staff and panelists at the standards setting event in July 2016.
Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs) are an essential tool for assessing an EL’s degree of language proficiency. These descriptors help educators plan instruction and measure student progress toward reaching the appropriate proficiency for each level of language acquisition.