OSPI Building & Certification Department Limited Hours — Thursday, Aug. 20
The OSPI Building will be closed from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. The Certification Department will be closed from 8 a.m.–1 p.m.
English Language Proficiency Assessments
ELP Assessments Office Hour
2026-27 Weekly Office Hours (August 4, 2026 – June 28, 2027)
Join OSPI staff on Mondays at noon for weekly discussions about ELP assessment test administration. This is an opportunity for district staff managing ELP assessments to learn, collaborate, and ask questions.
- 2026-27 Office Hour Schedule (Updated July 2026)
- Office Hours meeting Link
Contact Information
Sharon Coward
English Language Proficiency Assessment Coordinator564-669-4777
OSPI’s English Language Proficiency (ELP) Assessment program oversees and manages all ELP assessments in Washington. This includes both ELP placement assessments and ELP annual assessments.
Washington utilizes the WIDA Consortium suite of assessments, which are based on the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) standards framework. Measuring the four language domains of listening, reading, speaking, and writing, the WIDA assessments fulfill federal requirements to screen students for potential ELD services and annually assess the English language proficiency of Multilingual Learners (MLs)
ELP Placement Assessment
Washington uses the WIDA Screener assessments as English Language Proficiency (ELP) placement tests. Students must be administered an ELP placement test when their Home Language Survey (HLS) indicates a language other than English on Questions 2 and 3 of the survey. The ELP placement assessment must be administered within ten school days of their first day of school attendance, and screener results determine eligibility for English Language Development (ELD) services based on Washington’s entrance criteria.
ELP Annual Assessments
Washington uses the WIDA ACCESS assessments as English Language Proficiency (ELP) annual tests. All Multilingual Learners (ML) who receive English Language Development (ELD) services must take these assessments each winter. These annual assessments measure English language proficiency in the four language domains of listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Results from this test determine eligibility for continued ELD services.