LAS Links® Placement Tests
The LAS Links® Placement Tests are designed for schools and districts to support initial identification of language learners and to promote proper placement in instructional programs for newly enrolled students.
LAS Links® Placement Tests
Grades: K–12
Forms: 2 English and 2 Spanish
Grade Spans: K–1, 2–3, 4–5, 6–8, 9–12
Administration: Paper-and-Pencil
Testing Time: Completes in 30 minutes or less
LAS Links Placement Tests can be used for initial placement of English and Spanish Language Learners. The tests are designed for schools and districts to support initial identification and placement in instructional programs for newly enrolled students. It provides a screening tool for qualified school personnel to administer, score, and interpret the results for placement of students in appropriate Language Learner programs.
The Placement Test Design:
- Structured around the four major language domains of Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing, with a balance of constructed-response and multiple-choice items.
- A combination of tasks allows for an easy way to screen students’ basic level of language proficiency.
The LAS Links Placement Test design takes into consideration that students coming into classrooms will be faced with higher language demands to participate in instruction. The test is based on three dimensions of language proficiency:
- Conversational fluency (communicative language)
- Discrete English skills (specific aspects of English linguistic knowledge)
- Academic language
The tasks included in these short tests were carefully selected to evaluate the following skills:
- Language for social, instructional, and intercultural communications: targets the language used to navigate social, interpersonal, and instructional contexts at school.
- Language in academic settings:
- Contextualized
- Discourse level
- Linguistic complexity of receptive and expressive language (including vocabulary usage at word and phrase level)
- Language functions and tasks for communicative purposes in the school context