Greetings, Insiders!
The 2025–26 school year is here, and all of us at ELPA21 hope yours is off to an amazing start. We know the first weeks can be a whirlwind of excitement and activity, so in this edition of the ELPA21 Insider, we’ve pulled together helpful links, resources, and updates to make things a little easier. No matter your role or how long you’ve been working with English learners, we think you’ll find something here worth saving and sharing.
Remember, if you’re not already subscribed to the email version of the ELPA21 Insider Newsletter, consider signing up! Email subscribers receive the newsletter four times a year (spring, summer, fall, and winter) and one month earlier than it appears on the blog. Plus, subscribers get access to additional content and giveaways not available to blog readers.
However you choose to stay connected, we’re glad you’re here!
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Let’s get started!
Need to Complete Your Test Administrator Training or a Refresher Course?
If this is your first time administering the ELPA21 or Alt ELPA screener assessment, and you need to get certified, start by visiting the ELPA21 Training Website! You will need to create an account in our training system in order to access the Test Administrator certification courses, so if you haven’t already done so, click here for instructions on how to set up your training system account.
Once you have created your account and logged into the training system, click on Catalog in the upper-left section of the screen to register for and complete the training modules you need. If you run into trouble or have additional questions about training, you can review our training system FAQ, contact your school/district testing coordinator, or reach out to our dedicated training system help desk by emailing elpa21training@aealearningonline.org.
Access Your State’s ELPA21 Portal for Lots of Useful Info!
Each state that uses ELPA21’s assessments has a unique state portal (website) where you can find lots of useful information specific to your state. To access your ELPA21 state portal, visit the ‘Resources’ section of our website, choose your state from the dropdown menu, then click the button to visit your state’s portal. Information available on your state’s ELPA21 portal includes:
- Important announcements
- A calendar of key dates (testing windows, release dates for test scores, etc.)
- Access to practice tests
- Test administration manuals
- Technology guides
- Resources for students and families
- …and much more!
Free Resources for Educators
The ELPA21 Assessment System provides resources to supplement the information provided on individual student reports (ISRs), helping educators move from understanding test scores to taking concrete instructional action.
One resource you can access right away is our K-12 Enrichment Activities. Envisioned and co-created by EL educators, these enrichment activities cover all grades and contain opportunities for English learners to practice and further develop their skills in the four domains of language: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The enrichment activities are available at no charge and can be downloaded directly from our website.
Also available are our Achievement and Proficiency Level Descriptors (ALDs and PLDs). Achievement level descriptors (ALDs) describe what students can do at each proficiency level. Think of these as summative; a snapshot of what’s been achieved. Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs), meanwhile, describe what students are expected to do across levels of proficiency. They guide instruction and differentiation in real time. We recommend using our ALDs for interpreting test results and PLDs for planning instruction. One looks back, the other looks forward, but together they give a fuller picture of both current proficiency status and next steps. Similar resources for our alternate assessments are also available in the form of Proficiency and Modality PLDs and Reporting PLDs.
Download these resources and more from the following links:
- ELPA21 Achievement Level Descriptors
- ELPA21 Proficiency Level Descriptors
- Alt ELPA Overall Proficiency and Modality Performance Level Descriptors
- Alt ELPA Reporting Performance Level Descriptors
- ELPA21 ELP Standards
- Alt ELPA ELP Standards
- ELPA21 Assessment Process Roadmap
New Classroom Resources from Our Partners at UCLA CRESST for Multilingual Learners
We’d also like to tell you about the latest classroom resource from our partners at UCLA CRESST for Multilingual Learners. English Language Performance Measure Tasks Volume 3: Sequencing & Making Predictions offers educators a practical and efficient way to assess student understanding across language domains.
Featuring 48 tasks (two per grade level and domain), these performance measures are ideal for quick, formative checks of student progress. Each set includes a binder-ready hard copy 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. Visit shop.nabe.org to purchase.
Let’s Keep In Touch
We deeply appreciate the work you do to support English learners, and we’re committed to being a resource for you. Stay up to date on the latest by bookmarking our website and following us on social media, and if you find this newsletter helpful, we hope you’ll share it with your colleagues. Your feedback helps us better support you, and we do our best to respond to every question and inquiry as quickly as possible. Check out the links below to stay connected!
Thank you!
Thank you for joining us! Newsletter subscribers can look for the next installment of the ELPA21 Insider in your email inbox just before the winter break. See you soon, Insiders!