A Design Framework for the ELTeach Program Assessments

Abstract

ELTeach is an online professional development program consisting of two courses, English‐for‐Teaching and Professional Knowledge for English Language Teaching (ELT). Each course includes a coordinated assessment leading to a score report and certificate for individual teachers. Developed with reference to international and national teaching standards, and drawing on the resources of various national English‐language curricula and teaching materials, the program is designed to ensure that teachers have the functional classroom English language and the professional knowledge to support the implementation of the English‐language curricula they are expected to teach. In this document, we outline the design and development process followed in creating the two ELTeach assessments—the Test of English‐for‐Teaching (TEFT™) and the Test of Professional Knowledge (TPK™). The paper is organized into the following sections: (a) the purposes and intended uses for test scores/certificates, (b) the target populations, (c) the construct definitions, (d) the program frameworks and domain descriptions, (e) the test designs, (f) the scoring systems, and (g) directions for research in support of the program.