Pearson TELL

Pearson TELL

Pearson TELL

The Test of English Language Learning (TELL) is unlike any test you've seen, touched, or heard.

Pearson TELL

Overview  

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.

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

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

Download the overview brochure Watch an introductory video

 

Benefits

Flexible assessments

Easy management

Measurable results

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.

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.

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)
  • 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant
  • 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

Videos

Explore the possibilities and features of TELL with these demonstration videos:

Other Resources

Success Stories
TELL & ESSA
Conference Papers
FAQs
White Papers
Brochures and Flyers
Pearson Product Pairings
TELL Technology

Contact us

Give us a call to learn more about TELL, get pricing information, or place an order.

Contact Customer Service

Customer & Technical Support: 800-328-5999
International: 210-504-3055

Classroom Assessment Products

San Antonio Office
19500 Bulverde Rd #201
San Antonio, TX 78259