Alt ELPA Screener 

July 20, 2026 - May 7, 2027

Alt ELPA Screener Request Webform

Alt ELPA Screener Test Administration Manual 2026-27

Alt ELPA Summative

February 1, 2027 - March 19, 2027

• Arizona State Specific Policy for Alternate Assessment 2025-26 (02/2026)
• Alt ELPA Participation Guide Flow Chart (10/2025)
• Alt ELPA Accessibility and Accommodations Manual
• Alt ELPA Screener Test Administration Manual 2026-27

Information and updates related to the Alt ELPA summative assessment will be available on the ELPA21 website.

• OELAS and Assessment Joint Communication Memo regarding Alt ELPA (November 2023)

ClearCourse Learning Management System Training (DTC and TA training for the Alt ELPA Screener and the Alt ELPA Summative)

Cambium Portal (Student Practice Test, Manuals, Resource Guide)

Alt ELPA Reports

 The Alt ELPA Individual Student Reports from the Spring administration are available in May. Reports are available for downloading, viewing, and printing in the TIDE Reporting portal. Hard copies were sent to the District of Attendance (DOA). There are two copies of this individual student report (ISR); one copy of the report is to be sent home to parents/guardians, and the other copy is for the confidential student file. 
1.    Reports are accessed through the Cambium Reporting Portal. 
2.    Returning DTCs will log in with the same credentials used during administration.
3.    Click “District View” and select your district.
4.    On the right-hand side, in the Features and Tools menu, click “Download Student Results”, “Individual Student Reports” and the designated schools’ reports (select up to three schools).

The Reporting System User Manual is available for step-by-step directions for accessing the different types of reports.
 

Alt ELPA Sample Student Report

Parent Guide to Alt ELPA Student Reports (multi-language)

Educators' Quick Guide to Understanding Score Reports

• Alternate Assessment Eligibility Determination Form
• Alt ELPA Observation Form (printable copy for personal use)
• Alt ELPA Observation Microsoft Forms 2026-27 (for electronic submission)
• Theory of Action
• Alt ELPA - Alternate English Language Learning Assessment Project
• K-12 ELP Standards for ELs with significant cognitive disabilities

• Understanding Alt ELPA Student Reports- A Quick Guide for Educators
• Characteristics of English Learners with Significant Cognitive Disabilities: Findings from the Individual Characteristics Questionnaire (PDF
• Classroom Perspectives on English Learners with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (PDF)
• Developing a Request for Proposals for an Alternate Assessment of English Language Proficiency (PDF)
• Developing Item Templates for Alternate Assessments of English Language Proficiency (PDF)
• Standards Prioritization Process Evaluation (PDF)
• ELP Standards for English Learners with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (PDF)

Brief No. 1: Establishing a Definition of English Learners with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (PDF)

Brief No. 2: Considerations for Educators Serving English Learners with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (PDF)

Brief No. 3: Nonverbal Communication in Diverse Classrooms: Intercultural Competence Considerations for Supporting English Learners with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (PDF)

Brief No. 4: Individualized Education Programs for English Learners with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (PDF)

Brief No. 5: A Framework for Understanding English Learners with Disabilities: Triple the Work (PDF)

Brief No. 6: Case Examples of English Learners with Significant Cognitive Disabilities (PDF)

Alt ELPA Test Questions Brief

Chrome Updates for Alt ELPA PPT

Alt ELPA Summative Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Alt ELPA Screener Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Alt ELPA Parent Guide to Student Reports

• Parent Glossary - English
• Parent Glossary - Spanish

February 1 - March 19, 2027

7-week testing window to test all EL students with the Spring AZELLA Reassessment - Summative

May  2027

The electronic results of the Spring 2027 AZELLA Reassessment Test will be available uploaded to the students' EL70 Reports, or the records will be in the AZELLA Corrections application. The results will also be included on the EL72 Report.

May  2027 - the ELPA21 paper copies of the Individual Student Reports arrive at district offices.

• 1 copy must be placed in the student's cumulative folders and
• 1 copy must be provided to the parents.

Kindergarten through Grade 12 students with an EL need are required to participate in the Spring Reassessment - Summative. 

Students who are administered the AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener after MARCH 1 of the current school year are not required to be administered the Spring Reassessment - Summative.

Students who are listed on the EL73 Report as EL Group 1, 2, and 4 will be pre-registered for the Spring AZELLA Reassessment - Summative.

Students who are not pre-registered for the Spring AZELLA Reassessment - Summative by Cambium must be registered for the test through TIDE by the AZELLA District Test Coordinator and the AZELLA School Test Coordinator.

All accommodated forms of the Spring AZELLA Reassessment - Summative must be approved annually by submitting the AZELLA Additional Accommodations Request Form by December 4, 2026, for the Spring 2027 Reassessment administration. 

The accommodated forms for the Spring AZELLA Reassessment - Summative include:

• Special Paper Version (SPV)
• SPV Large Print
• Braille
• ASL
• Alt ELPA
  • The Alt ELPA is required for EL students who qualify for Alternate Assessments. These students must have a current English Language Proficiency (ELP) record that is eligible for EL program services.

The Distance Learning Program is not a school; it's a program. Students must be registered for the AZELLA test under the district or charter home school. Students must be administered the test in a brick-and-mortar district/school setting. Most students who are associated with an online learning program are administered the test at their home school.

The AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener window begins on the district's or charter's first instructional day of the school year. However, ADE has approved a 2-calendar week jump start prior to the first day of school to begin Placement - Dynamic Screener testing. The earliest date to start testing for School Year 2026-2027 is July 20, 2026. 

Before any AZELLA testing can begin, the following must be completed:

• The AZELLA District Test Coordinator (DTC), the AZELLA School Test Coordinator (STC), and the AZELLA Test Administrators (TA) must have completed the required Annual and Placement Test trainings and certifications before any AZELLA testing can begin.

The AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener window closes on May 14, 2027.

Students who are required to be administered the AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener include:

• Students who are new to Arizona public schools, their Home Language Survey (HLS) responses include a language other than English and American Sign Language (ASL) on any of the 3 responses, and the student does not have an AZELLA testing history or EL Program Transactions as shown on the EL70 Report are required to be administered the AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener.
• Students who have a red font quick alert message on their EL70 Report indicating that a new Placement Test is needed are required to be administered the AZELLA Placement - Group 8 Test.
• Students whose most current AZELLA record is "Undetermined" are required to be administered the AZELLA Placement - Group 8 Test.
• Students who are associated with EL Group 8 on the EL73 Report are required to be administered the AZELLA Placement - Group 8 Test.

Students who are NOT eligible for any AZELLA testing include:

• Foreign Exchange students who are not receiving state funds.

• Students who are receiving funding through Empower Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) are not eligible for the administration of English Language Proficiency tests.

• Students who have a blue font quick alert message on their EL70 Report. (If AZELLA testing is requested, the Moving from Mainstream to English Reassessment - Summative Test referral form is required.)

• Students whose most current AZELLA record has an Overall Proficiency Level of Proficient.

The AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener is administered for K-12 students online.

The Spring Reassessment - Summative is administered for K-12 students online.

Both test administrations require students to have secure electronic testing devices.

Accommodated forms for eligible students are available.

All accommodated forms of the AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener must be approved annually by submitting the AZELLA Additional Accommodations Request Form by August 31, 2026. 

At this time, the accommodated versions of the AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener are:

• Special Paper Version (SPV)
• SPV Large Print
• Braille
• ASL

The Alt ELPA Screener is available for eligible students in place of the AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener.

Yes. The AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener is administered concurrently with the Spring AZELLA Reassessment - Summative for students who require the administration of the AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener.

Students who are administered an AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener after MARCH 1 of the current school year do not need to be administered the Spring AZELLA Reassessment - Summative.

For Spring 2027, schools may utilize both published state ACT test windows to assess all Cohort 2028 students. Schools are encouraged to administer the ACT during the first test window and to use the second test window, as needed, to complete any makeup testing. Schools administering the ACT on paper may also use the online test dates for makeup testing. Any schools that choose to administer the ACT during only the second test window will not have an additional ACT test window to use for makeup testing.

Achievement District Test Coordinators must select the ACT test window for each school in ACT's PearsonAccess^next platform in November 2026.

ACT TEst Window 1

• Paper (Standard): March 23, 2027
• Paper (Accommodations): March 23-26, March 29-31, April 1-2, 2027
• Online (Standard and Accommodations): March 23-26, March 29-31, April 1-2, 2027

ACT Test Window 2

• Paper (Standard): April 6, 2027
• Paper (Accommodations): April 6-9 & April 12-16, 2027
• Online (Standard and Accommodations): April 6-9 & April 12-16, 2027

Schedule Flexibility Policy

Spring 2027 Testing Mode

The Achievement Testing Mode Application will be open in ADEConnect in September 14 - October 9, 2026.

All Achievement testing (ACT, ACT Aspire, AzSCI, and AASA) is, by default, administered to students by computer. 

Requests for schools to administer paper tests must be submitted by Achievement District Test Coordinators in ADEConnect during the designated window. Requests must provide an explanation of special circumstances for which paper testing is needed.

No action needs to be taken if school site(s) will administer computer-based assessments in Spring 2027. 

Refer to the Achievement Testing Mode Application User Guide for detailed steps to submit a paper-based testing request.

ACT hosted website for Arizona - Accessibility Supports section

Requests for ACT braille or large print tests must be submitted to ACT for approval in ACT's Test Accessibility and Accommodations (TAA) System during the accommodations request window.

Requests for ACT regular print Special Paper Version tests must be submitted to ADE for review and approval September 14, 2026 - February 5, 2027.

2026-2027 Special Paper Version Quick Guide - Coming Soon

2026-2027 Special Paper Version Request Form - Coming Soon

ACT hosted website for Arizona - Accessibility Supports section

Requests for ACT accommodations must be submitted to ACT for approval in ACT's Test Accessibility and Accommodations (TAA) System during the accommodations request window.

• Free ACT Practice Tests and Test Prep

Arizona State Standards Alignment Guide for the ACT and ACT Aspire Early High School - updated 2026

Arizona Alignment Matrix

Arizona ACT Performance Level Descriptors - English

Arizona ACT Performance Level Descriptors - Reading

Arizona ACT Performance Level Descriptors - Math

Writing Sample Essays

Writing Scoring Rubric

Schedule Flexibility Policy

ACT Calculator Policy

ACT Technical Manual

Comparison of the Legacy and Enhanced ACT Test

2026-2027 ACT Score Replacement Request Form - Coming Fall 2026

2026-2027 Parent Consent Form - Coming Fall 2026

ACT Cut Scores

• Individual student reports are available 5-8 weeks after testing through Online Reporting at success.act.org.
• Printed individual student reports are mailed to schools 5-8 weeks after testing.
• Spring 2026 district data files and contract reports in Online Reporting were considered final as of May 28, 2026.

ACT Student Data File Layout

Understanding ACT ELA Scores

There are 2 separate AZELLA test administrations during one school year.

The AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener is administered from the start of the school year through mid-May of the same school year as needed. Not all students with an EL need require an AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener. Students may be administered the Placement - Dynamic Screener during the Spring AZELLA Reassessment Test, when the Placement Test is required.

The annual Spring AZELLA Reassessment - Summative is administered during a scheduled 7-week test window February 1 through March 19, 2027. All students with an EL need are required to participate in this test administration. Students who are administered an AZELLA Placement - Dynamic Screener after MARCH 1, 2027, are not required to participate with the Spring 2027 AZELLA Reassessment - Summative.

Yes, ADE, in partnership with Cambium and ELPA21, provides extensive online training and qualifications for the administration of the AZELLA Placement Test and the Spring AZELLA Reassessment Test. 

The online trainings and qualifications include:

• Training modules are provided through our vendor's ClearCourse Learning Management System and other resources provided in Cambium's AZ Portal.

Please review the section titled AZELLA Trainings and Qualifications, on the AZELLA DTC web page.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. This law applies to all schools that receive U.S. Department of Education funds under applicable programs, including the states' English Language Proficiency assessments, such as AZELLA.

AZELLA materials may contain Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and sensitive information about a student’s educational background and historical performance. As such, we are all responsible for protecting and securing AZELLA materials to prevent the accidental disclosure of the information they contain.

Do not include students' names and/or date of birth in the body of emails. Use their State Student Identification (SSID) number. When images are included in the body of emails, all student identifiable information, except for the SSID number, must be extracted or blacked out before adding the image to the email.

These are the Overall Proficiency Level results: Pre-Emergent/Emergent (PrE/E); PreEmergent/Emergent/Basic (PrE/E/B); Emerging (E); Basic (B); Basic/Intermediate (B/I); Progressing (PRG); Intermediate (I); Proficient (P); No Proficiency Level – Undetermined (No PL); Not Attempted (NAT), and Not Demonstrated (ND).

An EL student must achieve an OPL of Proficient on the AZELLA to be exited from EL program services.

September - October 2026

The 2026 State EL Reclassification Rate will be published by the Accountability Division after the A-F Letter Grades have been completed in September 2026.

Please visit the Accountability web page in September for this information.  /accountability-research

No. Arizona public school students who are eligible for the AZELLA do not require parental permission for testing because the student attends a public school. Public schools must comply with State and Federal testing requirements, including the AZELLA; therefore, parent permission is not required to test eligible students. EL students must be tested annually until they reach an Overall Proficiency Level of Proficient on the AZELLA or Alt ELPA.

Parents may decline EL program services. Students who have been parent withdrawn from receiving EL program services are still required to be administered the AZELLA annually until they reach an Overall Proficiency Level of Proficient.