What is Cella?

CELLA is a four-skill language proficiency assessment developed under contract by Educational Testing Service (ETS) that is designed to provide:

Evidence of program accountability in accordance with Title III of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), which calls for schools and districts to meet state accountability objectives for increasing the English-language proficiency of English Language Learners.

Data useful for charting student progress over time and, for the newly arrived students; charting progress over the first year.

Information about the language proficiency levels of individual students that can be used in making decisions regarding placement into, or exit from English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs.

Diagnostically useful information about studentsÕ strengths and weaknesses in English (with as much specificity as possible within the limitations of a large-scale standardized test.)