Dive Brief:

• Two new computer-based tests for assessing the skills of English language learners will debut this year and they’re raising educators’ hopes that the new assessments will offer a more engaging and relevant learning experience.
• The ACCESS for ELLs 2.0, from the World Class Instructional Design and Assessment Consortium, will launch in November in 36 states.
• Meanwhile, the English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century consortium will roll out a new test in February and March in 10 member states.

Dive Insight:

While hopes are high, the new tests have also prompted worries about teacher preparation and disparities in students’ access to digital material. Early field tests have indicated that most students were experienced computer users and likely wouldn’t struggle with the digital assessments. But slightly more than 10% of students were less computer-literate; the new tests could fail to capture their actual academic abilities as a result. States’ familiarity with computer-based testing also varies widely, which means some states may lack administrators capable of either coaching students or dealing with glitches.