TELPAS is an assessment program for students in Texas public schools who are learning the English language. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) developed TELPAS to meet state and federal testing requirements. Texas assesses English language learners (ELLs) annually in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students learning the English language begin participating in TELPAS in kindergarten and stop participating when their language proficiency assessment committee (LPAC) determines that they are proficient in the English language.

Students in Grades K-1
For students in kindergarten through grade 1, TELPAS consists of holistically rated assessments in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The holistically rated assessments use classroom observations to measure students' progress in listening, speaking, and writing in English.

Students in Grades 2-12

For students in grades 2-12, TELPAS has multiple-choice reading tests and holistically rated assessments in listening, speaking, and writing. TELPAS assesses the progress that students are making in learning English. The multiple-choice reading test is a one-day test that measures students' annual progress in learning to read in English. The assessments of listening, speaking, and writing are based on classroom observations and a collection of the student's writing.

TELPAS ALTERNATE OVERVIEW

The Texas Education Agency has developed the TELPAS Alternate assessment to meet the federal requirements mandated under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which requires states to administer an alternate English language proficiency (ELP) assessment for English learners (ELs) with the most significant cognitive disabilities who cannot participate in general ELP assessment, even with allowable accommodations.