The Evaluating the Validity of English Language Proficiency Assessments (EVEA)
project was established through funding from an Enhanced Assessment Grant from the
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the US Department of Education awarded
to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction in Washington state in
September 2009. EVEA brought together a consortium of five states – Washington,
Oregon, Montana, Indiana, and Idaho – with a team of researchers and a panel
of experts. The purpose of this project was to develop an argument-based approach
to validity evaluation for English language proficiency assessments. This approach,
which is meant to be adaptable to any state's system, offers a comprehensive and
coherent framework for considering the meaning and usefulness of scores from English
language proficiency assessments. Participating states identified specific claims
about their ELP assessments and, through interaction with leading language and validity
experts, developed plans to evaluate these claims over time.
EVEA has produced the following products to benefit all states:
