I am starting an ESL (English as a second language) teaching program
within my business and I want
to give the students test that the government will recognize.   Once
my program produces results on that test I want to write grant
proposals to the government.  I am located in Howard County Maryland. 
We teach students who are just learning English for the first time to
students that have spend three years in the U.S. learning English.  I
need a test that has different levels and can evaluate each level of
student.  Also my company operates online so I would vastly prefer it
if this test can be given online through some sort of interactive
program, but if no such thing exists I will settle for the questions
and create the program myself.  Can you tell me the test that my
company should use for these purposes?

Dear agcaruso, 

I am well acquainted with the ESL market. The best test for you
situation is probably TOEIC (Test of English for International
Communications) [or your own test based on old TOEIC and similar
questions, which is what non-ETS approved centres usually do].
TOEIC - Homepage
<http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.fab2360b1645a1de9b3a0779f1751509/?vgnextoid=06cfd898c84f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD>

The purpose of this test is to evaluate the level of English of people
in business environment and the questions specialise in these
settings. The results tell you what kind of jobs (in relevance to
English skills) the test-taker can do:
Interpreting Scores
<http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.1488512ecfd5b8849a77b13bc3921509/?vgnextoid=e7462d3631df4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=86b6d898c84f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD>

Here are several resources that would help you get the tests done: 

Alexis Online for the TOEICŪ Exam
<http://www.encomiuminteractive.com/exams/demo.asp> 

Online TOEIC
<http://www.1-language.com/materials/toeic/index.htm>

TOEIC Prep
<http://www.english-test.net/toeic/> 

Practice TOEIC
<http://www.free-english.com/TOEIC-practice-test.aspx> 

TOEIC
<http://www.englishclub.com/esl-exams/ets-toeic.htm> 

Books: 
* Barron's How to Prepare for the TOEIC
* Kaplan's TOEIC
* Longman Preparation for the TOEIC (series)
* Princeton Review: Cracking the Toeic Exam 

I hope that this answers your question. Please contact me if you need
any clarification on this answer before you rate it.

---

Request for Answer Clarification by agcaruso-ga on 12 Jun 2006 10:11 PDT

Thank you for you work.  I do need a little more information if that
is ok.  I am training students in grades K-12 starting at phonic
sounds and this test is way to hard for them, but it will be good as a
final goal from the program.  But I still need a way to evaluate
progress as they move through the program and I want to do that
through some sort of recognized test.  Are there any tests that you
can recommend that have different levels of difficultly that I can
give my students as they advance?

Something like the TOEIC Bridge test.  But we need to be able to
procure old test give our students online.  Do you know how this is
possible?

Thank You,

Alex

---

Clarification of Answer by politicalguru-ga on 13 Jun 2006 02:07 PDT

Hallo again, 

If you are aiming mostly at young learners, you might want to consider
the Cambridge ESOL Young Learners' Exam
<http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/yle.htm> 

Also see Cambridge ESOL general page on the support they give to teachers/schools
<http://www.cambridgeesol.org/teachers/index.htm> 

Most people I know that teach young learners use Cambridge material. 

In addition, I recommend that you'll contact Maryland State Dept. of
Education. K-12 ESL is something that the department deals with (many
schools have an ESL programme for immigrants) and they already have
directives and ideas for you.

These are their ideas for adults, for example: 
Maryland State Department of Education. Maryland Content Standards for
Adult ESL/ESOL. (2003). Available:
http://www.umbc.edu/alrc/ESOLCS405.pdf

Academic accelation is handeld through: 
Richard J. Steinke, Deputy State Superintendent
Maryland State Department of Education
200 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201 

Certification/Accreditation through: 
Division of Certification and Accreditation
Maryland State Department of Education
200 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201 

MSDE
<http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/msde>

Excellent information in a timely manor.  I'm glad to have worked with
Google answers and politicalguru.

If the government has to approve your test, shouldn't they tell you
what tests the students must pass?

What about the TOEFl test?

www.ets.org/toefl

Thank you for the rating and the tip!