Standards
Respecting Students’ Unique Communication Experiences
The Alt ELPA is the first and only English language proficiency assessment built on the English Language Proficiency Standards for English Learners with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (2019), allowing for the fair and valid assessment of this historically underserved student population.
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Alt ELP Standards
At long last — English Language Proficiency Standards for English Learners with Significant Cognitive Disabilities. Developed by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), these standards are the foundation of this student population’s social and academic success.
Background
The alternate ELP standards are the result of a cross-disciplinary effort and a national call to action for English learners with the most significant cognitive disabilities — a very small and historically underserved population of public school students. The alternate ELP standards were drafted, reviewed, and finalized in 2019 by instruction and assessment experts under the guidance of Lead Writer Dr. Edynn Sato and facilitated by the Council of Chief State School Officers. Participants included educators and representatives from 9 CAAELP states; English learner, students with disabilities, and assessment specialists; psychometricians; and representatives from other assessment collaboratives and the grant-funded ALTELLA project.
Design
Based on the ELP standards (2014), the alternate ELP standards reflect the best elements of work related to ELP, the intersection of standards, and the learning and achievement of students with significant cognitive disabilities. These grade-based standards reflect the necessary receptive (listening, reading), productive (speaking, writing), and interactive language knowledge and skills that support access to and engagement with grade-level academic content and practices. These practices are associated with English language arts and literacy, mathematics, and science.
Impact
The Alt ELPA takes into consideration the diverse communication experiences of English learners with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The alternate ELP standards support these students as they learn critical English language knowledge, skills, and communicative competence. Guided by these standards, the Alt ELPA equips educators to support students in gaining English proficiency and ultimately becoming college- and career-ready.