Test of English Language Learning

TELL
For teachers who need to understand the proficiency of their English language learners, TELL is a touchscreen-delivered assessment used to screen, diagnose, and progress monitor reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Speech recognition technology automatically scores spoken and written responses, while students in kindergarten through grade 12 interact with fun, engaging activities that feel more like games than tests. Reports are available in minutes to help teachers know quickly how each student’s performance compares to standards-aligned, grade level expectations. See our Guidance on using this assessment remotely.

Choose from our products

  • Training

    Onsite, virtual & on-demand trainings

    5 options

    from $520.00
- of 5 results
  • TELL Essentials Live Webinar 3 Hours
    6000641 Qualification Level B

    This 3-hour session will introduce the TELL components to participants and demonstrate how it can be used to screen, diagnose, and progress monitor English language learners. During this session, participants will experience TELL from the student perspective and learn the best practices for test preparation and test administration. This session will also provide a brief overview of the different reports TELL can generate and how to interpret data to inform instruction and increase student achievement. Participants should have access to a tablet with the TELL app downloaded and a second device with a physical keyboard for this session. Price includes up to 30 people per session.

    Training orders will be processed within 5-7 business days of order placement. A training consultant will contact you to coordinate your training. Training dates are scheduled no earlier than 5 weeks from order placement.

    $2,184.00

  • TELL Data Analysis and Utilization Live Webinar 3 Hours
    A103000072512 Qualification Level B

    This 3-hour session will show participants how to dig into their data and how to interpret it to make informed decisions. It will begin by looking at the Aggregate Report and List Report to identify trends for a grade level or group of students. TELL performance descriptors and TELL cut scores will be discussed. Participants will learn to interpret this data to guide instruction and set up progress monitoring. Participants must have access to a device with a physical keyboard for this session. Price includes up to 30 people per session.

    Training orders will be processed within 5-7 business days of order placement. A training consultant will contact you to coordinate your training. Training dates are scheduled no earlier than 5 weeks from order placement.

    $2,184.00

  • TELL Essentials and Data Utilization Live Webinar 6 Hours
    A103000072513 Qualification Level B

    This 6-hour session will introduce the TELL to participants and demonstrate how it can be used to screen, diagnose, and progress monitor English language learners. Participants will learn the essentials for a successful administration of a TELL assessment. Through hands-on activities, participants will learn to navigate their TELL accounts and experience the TELL app from a learner’s perspective. This session will also show participants how to interpret the data to drive instruction for groups and individual students. Participants must have access to a tablet with the TELL app downloaded and a second device with a physical keyboard for this session. Price includes up to 30 people per session.

    Training orders will be processed within 5-7 business days of order placement. A training consultant will contact you to coordinate your training. Training dates are scheduled no earlier than 5 weeks from order placement.

    $4,160.00

  • TELL Essentials and Data Utilization In Person 6 Hours
    6000522 Qualification Level B

    This 6-hour session will introduce the TELL to participants and demonstrate how it can be used to screen, diagnose, and progress monitor English language learners. Participants will learn the essentials for a successful administration of a TELL assessment. Through hands-on activities, participants will learn to navigate their TELL accounts and experience the TELL app from a learner’s perspective. This session will also show participants how to interpret the data to drive instruction for groups and individual students. Participants must have access to a tablet with the TELL app downloaded and a second device with a physical keyboard for this session. Price includes up to 30 people per session.

    Training orders will be processed within 5-7 business days of order placement. A training consultant will contact you to coordinate your training. Training dates are scheduled no earlier than 5 weeks from order placement.

    $7,280.00

  • TELL Live Question and Answer Virtual 1 Hour
    6000520 Qualification Level B

    Price includes up to 30 people per session. This 1-hour Q&A session supports participants who have attended a previous session or are familiar with the assessment. A Pearson expert will meet with participants to address follow-up questions and support specific assessment-related needs. To use the hour efficiently, participants may submit questions in advance. Q&A sessions do not include handouts or slides.

    Training orders will be processed within 5-7 business days of order placement. A training consultant will contact you to coordinate your training. Training dates are scheduled no earlier than 5 weeks from order placement.

    $520.00

Overview

Age range:
Grades K-12
Administration:
< 45 minutes
Telepractice:
Further information regarding remote administration of this assessment

At a glance

Get a closer look at the capabilities, benefits and features of TELL.

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Ordering

License Window Use of Purchase is the School Year (8/1 - 7/31). All licenses expire on 7/31 each school calendar year. Licenses DO NOT ROLL OVER. 

Items and Pricing

Returning TELL customers

Log in to place your order on your CAP Assessment Platform account. 

Login to CAP Assessment Platform

First time TELL customers

Request your CAP Assessment Platform testing account  

A minimum order charge of $300.00 is required if you are purchasing this online product for the first time. Submit a request to place your order and set up your Classroom Assessment Products (CAP) Assessment Platform online testing account. 

U.S. Customer & Technical Support: +1 (800) 328-5999 
International: +1 (210) 504-3055 

 

Product Details

By 2025, one in four public school students will be an English language learner. Test of English Language Learning (TELL) is a language proficiency assessment that screens, diagnoses, and monitors K–12 English language learners.

Benefits

  • Takes less than 45 minutes to administer and produces reliable and accurate reports that help districts identify which students qualify for ELL programs.
  • Helps teachers monitor performance to guide instructional decisions in a timely and reliable manner.
  • A Standards Alignment has been conducted with external experts and trained coders to align TELL and the ELD/P standards of California, Arizona, Texas, and WIDA.

Features

Delivered on tablets, TELL provides a gamified user experience that tests four foundational skills and seven sub-skills:

Foundational skills

Sub-skills

 
  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Listening
  • Speaking
  • Pronunciation
  • Fluency
  • Grammar
  • Vocabulary
  • Pre-literacy
  • Reading rate
  • Comprehension

Flexible assessments

Flexible assessments

Screening

TELL allows teachers to screen and identify English language proficiency levels to inform program decisions. Screening assessments help determine which students qualify for services and where to place them.

Diagnostics

TELL's diagnostic tests measure the abilities and skill levels of students. A test administered at the beginning and end of the school year establishes baseline proficiency levels and track growth.

Progress monitors

TELL uses key data to inform instruction throughout the year—a capacity no other language assessment provides. Eight different progress monitors help identify the information you need to inform instruction and create differentiated learning paths.

Interactive interface

English language learners interact with fun, engaging activities that make TELL feel more like a game than a test. They listen, write, read, and speak—all with no markups or grading. Depending on the type, tests take between 20 and 50 minutes to complete.

Easy management

Easy management

Plug and play

The TELL app only takes a few minutes to download from the App or Google Play stores. Students start with an initial tech check to make sure their tablet's audio and microphone are working properly, and then follow guided video tutorials that help them navigate and get familiar with the app. Convenient, flexible, and scalable, TELL can be used with just one student or with a group.

Ongoing training

Educational technologies are most effective when they go hand in hand with classroom lessons and activities. Pearson offers a variety of training options (all led by certified trainers) to help you implement TELL with fidelity and put your students on the road to academic success. Our on-site professional development workshops and half-day webinars will help you successfully implement TELL and maximize its effectiveness in the classroom.

Multi-level permissioning

The TELL system is an internal Pearson technology environment that supports next-generation learning assessment solutions. Teachers and administrators can create classes or custom groups, set up test sessions, monitor testing, and view scores through reports. Administrators can use the system to manage licenses, upload student rosters, and view scores.

Measurable results

Measurable results

Automated scoring

TELL provides highly efficient, consistent, and objective scoring on four foundational skills and seven sub-skills. Unlike conventional language assessments, TELL uses speech recognition technology to automatically score students' spoken and written responses. This automated scoring technology has been researched, validated, and used for more than a decade as part of Pearson's language assessments and language instructional systems. Real-time reporting

Reports are available in minutes so educators know early, quickly, and often where English language learners are in relation to proficiency levels. There are two types of reports: list reports and aggregate reports. List reports show student results for each assessment in an interactive roster format that allows educators to dive deeper for more information. Aggregate reports show a composite view of results and are especially useful for school and district administrators. All reports can be exported and uploaded into a student information system.

Standards alignment

TELL aligns with World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA), English Language Development Standards (ELD), and other state standards. TELL also helps meet key Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requirements for English language learners. To learn more about TELL standards alignment, see our FAQs.

Funding sources

TELL is eligible for a wide variety of education funding sources. School districts commonly use one or more of the following funding sources to purchase ELL assessments:

Formula funds

  • State and local assessment funds
  • State funds for English language learners
  • Title I, Part A
  • Title I, Part C – Migrant Education
  • Title III – intervention for English language learners

Competitive grants

  • Title I, Section 1003 (a)
  • Investing in Innovation
  • Innovative Approaches to Literacy
  • State-specific grants

Additional funding ideas

  • After school/Summer school grants
  • Community partnerships
  • Foundation funding or donations
  • PTA funds
  • Impact aid

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Pearson Assessment for Learning Suite

The Pearson Assessment for Learning Suite is a category of K-12 assessments that support educators, caregivers, and students in improving their educational outcomes.

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