Indiana Department of Education Perspectives on the Transition: How We Got Here, What We Should Remember, and What We Hope for

Abstract

The article summarizes the process of Indiana’s departure from the original English Language Proficiency Standards and the use of LAS Links as an annual assessment for Indiana’s more than 60,000 English language learners (ELLs) to becoming a member of the WIDA Consortium of states. Historical perspectives and rationales for this transition, as well as an early indication of the benefits of this new association, provide an important documentation of the reasons for this significant decision and its anticipated positive impact on Indiana’s ELLs.