California English Language Development Test

The California English Language Development Test, or CELDT, has been administered since 2001 as a formal assessment of where a student’s proficiency of English standards. The test is administered to any student from grades K-12 who have a home language other than English. The CELDT was developed with three principles in mind: identify students who are English learners, determine their level of English proficiency, and assess their progress toward acquiring English proficiency. The CELDT tests students who are English learners in the following areas: listening, speaking, reading and writing. The test is given within 30 days of new enrollment to students whose Home Language Survey indicates a language other than English is spoken in the home, and for whom there is no prior record of English language testing. Then it is administered annually to track the progress of the student and determine when they have reached proficiency. After the CELDT has been taken, the test score yields a result which is now classified as the student's CELDT or proficiency level. These levels are represented either numerically 1-5, or more commonly, symbolically as in the WestEd ELD standards. The five levels of the CELDT are: Beginning, Early Intermediate, Intermediate, Early Advanced, and Advanced.