What ELPA21 does

ELPA21 is a non-profit English language proficiency (ELP) assessment consortium housed at UCLA's Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST), within UCLA's School of Education and Information Studies. Founded in 2012 under an Enhanced Assessment Grant from the US Department of Education, it was developed collaboratively by state education agencies to meet federal ELP assessment requirements for K-12 English learners. The system is currently adopted by 12 US states (Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, West Virginia, Arizona, Connecticut, and Alabama), each operating through a dedicated state representative and state-specific portal.

The core technology is a computer-adaptive testing (CAT) system built around the 21st Century ELP Standards developed by educators in 2014. The product suite comprises four assessments: the Dynamic Screener (a year-round adaptive screener for identifying English learners upon school entry), the ELPA21 Summative (the annual summative assessment measuring proficiency growth), and two alternate assessments — the Alt ELPA Screener and Alt ELPA Summative — designed for English learners with significant cognitive disabilities. Assessment delivery and scoring are handled in partnership with ETS, while Cambium Assessment provides the technology platform services.

The business model is a state-consortium model: partner state education agencies participate in a collaborative governance structure with voting representation, contract for statewide implementation, and co-fund operations alongside the federal Enhanced Assessment Grant. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Revenue flows primarily through state-level cooperative agreements and the federal grant, with no commercial licensing, international customers, or disclosed ARR. Professional learning workshops and an educator resources library complement the assessment products but are not separately monetized. The organization operates with a small core team (~7 employees per firmographics, supplemented by CRESST research staff and state representatives) and is governed with input from a Technical Advisory Committee of psychometricians, researchers, and educators.

Name

ELPA21

Legal name

ELPA21

Website

https://elpa21.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Non-profit English language proficiency assessment consortium, housed at UCLA CRESST, providing computer-adaptive K-12 ELP assessments and professional learning to 12 US state education agencies under a federally funded cooperative model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Assessment

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Assessment, Testing & Analytics Platforms (Formative/Summative) (EDAJAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) & Psychometric Analytics Platforms (EDAFADAD), ESL/ELL Literacy & Academic English Support (EDAMAJAJ)

Keywords

• English language proficiency assessment
• K-12 educational assessment
• Adaptive testing platform
• English learner screening
• State education assessment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ELPA21 is a comprehensive English language proficiency assessment system that provides computer-adaptive testing for K-12 English learners. It consists of four assessment products (Dynamic Screener, ELPA21 Summative, Alt ELPA Screener, and Alt ELPA Summative) delivered through state-specific online portals to state education agencies for statewide implementation.

Product overview

ELPA21 is a comprehensive English language proficiency assessment and instructional system consisting of a suite of four distinct assessment products. The system includes the Dynamic Screener (for identifying English learners upon school entry), the ELPA21 Summative (annual comprehensive assessment measuring student growth), the Alt ELPA Screener (for students with significant cognitive disabilities), and the Alt ELPA Summative (alternate assessment for the most significantly cognitively disabled English learners). The system measures student growth based on adaptive, student-focused English Language Proficiency Standards developed by educators. It is housed at CRESST at UCLA and supported by partner states including Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, West Virginia, Arizona, and Connecticut.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dynamic Screener A year-round adaptive assessment used to determine whether students entering school would benefit from English language services. It efficiently identifies English learners and qualifies them for additional services and language support, intended for state education agencies implementing K-12 EL identification.
• ELPA21 Summative A comprehensive yearly summative assessment that measures student growth based on adaptive, student-focused English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards. It goes beyond accountability to support educators' understanding of student growth, providing meaningful information benefiting both educators and families of K-12 English learners.
• Alt ELPA Screener An assessment administered to students who have significant cognitive disabilities and who may also be English learners. Administered year-round, it ensures English learners regardless of disability are accurately identified for language services, intended for state education agencies serving students with significant cognitive disabilities.
• Alt ELPA Summative A standards-aligned alternate ELP assessment designed specifically for English learners with the most significant cognitive disabilities and the communities and schools that support them. It is part of the comprehensive ELPA21 assessment system for K-12 English learners.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and support.

• UCLA CRESST (Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRESST is housed within UCLA's School of Education and Information Studies and provides critical input and guidance to the ELPA21 assessment system and its professional learning tools. CRESST creates methodologies, technologies, and assessment designs to address challenges in education evaluation.
• ETScoreTechnology or IntegrationETS is a non-profit organization that conducts research and develops assessment programs, administering and scoring over 50 million tests annually across 180+ countries. They provide assessment delivery and scoring services.
• Cambium Assessment, Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationOne of the world's largest behavioral and social science research and evaluation organizations, Cambium is a non-profit that designs and develops assessment services and next-generation classroom products. They provide technology platform services.
• National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO)supportStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCEO leads the development of educational assessments and accountability systems to monitor educational results for all students, including those with disabilities and ELs.
• Understanding Language InitiativesupportStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe initiative's long-term goal is to emphasize the importance of learning the language of each academic discipline to master content, raising awareness among educators of language's critical role in Common Core State and Next Generation Science Standards.
• Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)supportStrategic or Co-development PartnerELPA21's TAC is composed of esteemed educators, psychometricians, and researchers who advise on critical areas such as assessment design, test validity, implementation, and technology requirements.
• State Education Agencies (Partner States)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner states include Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, West Virginia, Arizona, Connecticut, and Alabama. Each state has a designated representative and implements ELPA21 assessments statewide through their Department of Education.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Riverside Insights: Riverside Insights provides K-12 assessment and analytic solutions, including interim and benchmark assessments used in English learner identification. It is comparable to ELPA21 in providing assessment tools used by state and district educators.
• Illuminate Education: Illuminate provides K-12 assessment, data, and intervention tools used by districts and states. It is comparable to ELPA21 in supporting English learner identification, progress monitoring, and educator-facing assessment reporting.

Broad incumbents

• Educational Testing Service (ETS): ETS is a major non-profit assessment organization that develops and administers standardized tests. It is both a delivery partner to ELPA21 and a broad incumbent competing in K-12 assessment, including ELP offerings to other states.
• Data Recognition Corporation (DRC): DRC is a large assessment vendor that designs, develops, and scores large-scale state K-12 assessments including ELP. It competes with ELPA21 in state-level assessment procurement processes.
• Cambium Assessment, Inc. Cambium is a major K-12 assessment provider delivering technology platforms and assessment services. It is a delivery partner to ELPA21 and competes with other states for large-scale summative and ELP assessment contracts.
• Questar Assessment (now part ofETS): Questar was a K-12 assessment platform provider serving state summative and ELP assessment contracts, now part of ETS. It is comparable to ELPA21 in delivering adaptive statewide assessments to state education agencies.
• Pearson Assessment: Pearson is one of the largest global assessment and education companies, offering a broad portfolio of K-12 summative and formative assessments. It competes indirectly with ELPA21 in state-level ELP and general assessment procurements.

Direct peers

• American Institutes for Research (AIR): AIR is a large non-profit behavioral and social science research organization that develops and delivers K-12 assessments, including English language proficiency assessments. It is comparable to ELPA21 as a research-backed assessment provider serving state education agencies.
• WIDA Consortium: WIDA is the dominant English language proficiency assessment consortium housed at UW-Madison, serving 41 states with K-12 ELP assessments. It is ELPA21's primary direct competitor in the same state-adopted ELP assessment category.

Others

• National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO): NCEO is a non-profit research organization that supports assessment and accountability for diverse learners including ELs and students with disabilities. It is a strategic partner to ELPA21 and an ecosystem participant in the inclusive assessment space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elpa21assess

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ELPA21