F
LORIDA CELLA FACT SHEET
COMPREHENSIVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING ASSESSMENT
Florida Department of Education
2006
What is CELLA?
Florida uses the Comprehensive English Language
Learning Assessment (CELLA) to measure the growth of
students classified as English Language Learners
(ELLs) in mastering the skills in English they will need to
succeed in school.
CELLA is a four-skill language proficiency assessment
developed under contract by Educational Testing
Service (ETS) that is designed to provide:
•
Evidence of program accountability in
accordance with Title III of No Child Left Behind
(NCLB), which calls for schools and districts to
meet state accountability objectives for
increasing the English-language proficiency of
English Language Learners.
•
Data useful for charting student progress over
time and, for the newly arrived students; charting
progress over the first year.
•
Information about the language proficiency
levels of individual students that can be used in
making decisions regarding placement into, or
exit from English for Speakers of Other
Languages (ESOL) programs.
•
Diagnostically useful information about students’
strengths and weaknesses in English (with as
much specificity as possible within the limitations
of a large-scale standardized test.)
What does CELLA contain?
The CELLA tests four areas:
•
Listening
•
Speaking
•
Reading
•
Writing
These sections are included in each of the four test
levels: Level A (Grades K-2), Level B (Grades 3-5),
Level C (Grades 6-8) and Level D (Grades 9-12).
Students will take the Listening, Reading, and Writing
sections as a group. For the Speaking section, students
will have a one-on-one interview with a teacher.
(Younger students may have the entire test individually
administered by a teacher.)
It is recommended that students take the CELLA test
level that corresponds to their grade level; however,
since there can be a wide range of English language
proficiency levels within a grade, CELLA offers
functional
level
testing. With functional level testing, students take
the Listening and Speaking sections that correspond to
their grade level, but may take the Reading and Writing
sections one level below their grade level.
The Locator Test
is a short test consisting of 18
multiple-choice reading questions and is designed to
help determine which level of Reading and Writing
assessment—A, B, C, or D—is most appropriate for
each student.
For Level A, it is recommended that the entire test be
individually administered to students in kindergarten.
Students in grades 1 and 2 will take the Listening,
Reading, and Writing sections in small groups and will
have the One-on-One section individually administered.
In addition to the items taken by students in grades K–1,
students in grade 2 will also take additional “Extension”
items in Reading and Writing. The Speaking section will
be individually administered. It takes approximately 30
minutes to administer the Locator Test.
Test Overview for
Level A
*Times do not include time to distribute materials and complete
demographic information.
Test Overview for
Levels B, C, D
:
Sections
Administration Features
Approximate
Time*
Listening
• Group administered
• Teacher reads script or
plays CD
25 min.
Speaking
• Individually administered
• Teacher reads script
10–15 min.
Reading
• Group administered
45 min.
Writing
• Group administered
70 min.
*Times do not include time to distribute materials and complete
demographic information.
Sections
Administration Features
Approx.
Time*
Approx.
Time*
Gr. K–1
Gr. 2
Listening
• Small-group administered
(Individual
administration is
recommended for
kindergarten)
• Teacher reads script or
plays CD
15 min.
15 min.
Reading
(Grade 2
includes
“extension”)
• Small-group administered
(Individual
administration is
recommended for
kindergarten)
15 min.
35 min.
Writing
(Grade 2
includes
“extension”)
• Small-group administered
(Individual
administration is
recommended for
kindergarten)
15 min.
30 min.
One-on-One
• Individually administered
to all Level A students
(K–2)
15 min.
15 min.