All students should graduate from high school ready for college, careers, and citizenship.
English language learners (ELLs) now represent a substantial proportion of students in many districts, and this paper describes their history in the assessment system, the connections between content and English language proficiency (ELP) assessments, and how the assessments these students take can be included in an assessment inventory process such as Achieve’s Student Assessment Inventory for School Districts. Districts considering their assessments through the student assessment inventory process should bear in mind federal and state laws and policies governing ELLs but apply them in ways that are consistent with the differentiated needs of ELLs, including the length of time they have been in school and their educational history. In addition, districts should use the opportunity to be broadly inclusive of stakeholders — all educators as well as parents and community members — to ensure that assessment practices are appropriate for the needs of the diversity represented within the ELL population. This paper was developed through a partnership with Kenji Hakuta and Achieve to provide guidance and recommendations about how to include English language learners in a comprehensive assessment system and address concerns about too much testing for these students.