A Principled Design Approach to Developing an Alternate English Language Proficiency Assessment

Session Type: Coordinated Paper Session

Abstract

The valid assessment of a complex construct like English language development targeted for the small and diverse population of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities presents unique challenges and requires a systematic test development process. This session’s presenters will detail the design and development of the Alt ELPA—an alternate English language development test developed under a principled assessment design (PAD) framework.

Specifically, the presenters will (a) provide a context for the challenges due to the complexity of the construct and diversity of the small student population, (b) recount how states and researchers applied principled assessment design to understand, articulate expectations for, and measure the receptive and productive language development of students while creating a fair and accessible assessment with meaningful scores, (c) describe calibrating and scoring the Alt ELPA, given the challenges of federal reporting requirements, small sample sizes and high degrees of missingness and incompleteness of data, and (d) describe the Embedded Standard Setting (ESS) process for the Alt ELPA and in particular, how ESS places specific, but modest requirements throughout the PAD test development lifecycle to support a coherent assessment system.

A nationally recognized expert in special student populations will discuss and contextualize the various presentations.

Sub Unit

• Individual Papers, Innovation Demonstrations, Coordinated Sessions, or Organized Discussions

Session Organizer

• Daniel Lewis, Creative Measurement Solutions LLC

Chair

• Cathryn Still, ELPA21

Individual Presentations

• Developing a Research-Based Alt ELPA Theory of Action and Accessibility Policy - Kristin Liu, University of Minnesota

• Expanding Expectations of Communication for English Learners to Increase Fairness in Assessment - Cathryn Still, ELPA21

• Calibration and Scoring of the Alt ELPA - Yun Kim, UCLA; Li Cai

• Embedded Standard Setting for the Alt ELPA - Daniel Lewis, Creative Measurement Solutions LLC

Discussant

• Martha Thurlow, NATIONAL CENTER ON EDUCATIONAL