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The AZELLA testing window for the Spring 2027 Reassessment runs from February 1 to March 19, 2027, for every English learner in kindergarten through grade 12. The AZELLA Placement test, the Dynamic Screener given to new students, has its own window, from July 20, 2026 to May 14, 2027. Before anyone gives either test, the Arizona Department of Education requires trainings, a test administrator certification course and a signed Test Security Agreement for the current school year. This guide sets out the 2026-2027 dates, the placement decision flow chart, the training requirements, what the District Test Coordinator is responsible for, and where the practice tests are.
Table of contents
Executive Summary
AZELLA is two tests with two windows. The Placement test identifies English learners among students new to Arizona public schools, all year long. The Spring Reassessment measures every current English learner once a year, in a seven-week window, and it is the result used for exit and for federal accountability.
Most AZELLA problems are administrative, not linguistic: a student screened who did not need to be, a test administrator who missed the certification course, a Reassessment scheduled into the last week. ADE’s rules for 2026-2027 are specific, and they are all in place before the first test.
Key Takeaways
- Spring Reassessment: February 1 to March 19, 2027, grades K-12.
- Placement (Dynamic Screener): July 20, 2026 to May 14, 2027.
- Before testing: staff training, the TA certification course and a signed 2026-2027 Test Security Agreement.
- Certification: once per school year; “complete the course, pass a quiz, and sign a test security agreement.”
- Flow chart: ADE posts an AZELLA Placement Test Logic Flow Chart for the screening decision.
- K and grade 1: the Placement test is online only.
AZELLA Dates for 2026-2027
| What | Dates |
|---|---|
| Test Administration Manuals and TA certification course available | July 20, 2026 |
| AZELLA Placement, Dynamic Screener (K-12) | July 20, 2026 to May 14, 2027 |
| AZELLA Spring Reassessment, Summative (K-12) | February 1 to March 19, 2027 |
| AZELLAology virtual office hours (optional) | October 6, November 17, December 15, 2026; January 12 and February 9, 2027 |
Sources: ADE, Tentative Test Windows 2026-2027 (updated August 21, 2026) and the AZELLA DTCs page. ADE’s placement FAQ adds that a district’s Placement window begins on its first instructional day and closes in mid-May. The Spring Reassessment is the AZELLA result ADE uses in federal accountability for proficiency and growth.
The AZELLA Placement Test Flow Chart
Quick answer: a student takes the AZELLA Placement test when they are new to Arizona public schools, their Home Language Survey names a language other than English or American Sign Language, and they have no prior AZELLA history. ADE posts the decision as the AZELLA Placement Test Logic Flow Chart (July 2026).
- Is the student brand new to Arizona public schools? If not, check their existing record first.
- Does the Home Language Survey name a language other than English or ASL? If not, stop: no screening.
- Is there previous ELP history or an EL program transaction (EL70)? If yes, check the EL70 overall proficiency level. If it is Proficient, do not administer a placement test.
- No history? Administer the AZELLA Placement Dynamic Screener, or the Alternate ELPA Screener for eligible students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.
- Special cases: do not screen foreign exchange students; do not re-screen a student withdrawn from special education after their most recent test; screen when the ELP record is out of date.
Kindergarten and grade 1 Placement tests are online only; ADE provides no paper materials for them. What the Placement scores mean, and the cut scores lowered for Spring 2026, are in AZELLA scores explained.
The Spring Reassessment
ADE is direct: “All Kindergarten through Grade 12 students with an EL need are required to participate in the Spring Reassessment – Summative.” It is an online test, with paper forms only for students with approved accommodations, given in the seven weeks from February 1 to March 19, 2027. It is the test that decides whether a student reaches Proficient and exits English language services, under the domain rules explained in our AZELLA guide.
ADE’s reference documents for the Reassessment are the Reassessment Test Coordinator Manual (the Spring 2026 edition is the latest posted) and the AZELLA Accommodations Manual.
AZELLA Training Requirements for 2026-2027
| Requirement | Who | Where |
|---|---|---|
| DTC-created training, two sessions: Placement and Spring Reassessment | All district and school AZELLA staff: DTCs, STCs, test administrators, proctors | Run by the district; “Attendance rosters with signatures are required” |
| ELPA21 screener modules (screener process, preparation, on-the-fly scoring, accessibility) and Reassessment modules | Staff giving each test | ClearCourse, through the Test Administrator box of the AZ portal |
| Test Administrator Certification Course, from July 20, 2026 | DTCs, STCs and TAs, once per school year | AZ portal, Test Administrator box |
| 2026-2027 AZELLA Test Security Agreement | All AZELLA staff, before any AZELLA test | ADE; DTCs sign theirs online in ADEConnect |
The certification course is the gate: “each user must complete the course, pass a quiz, and sign a test security agreement form before being permitted to sign in to the online testing system.” ADE also lists the training materials for all staff, including Test Security and Ethics for All AZELLA Personnel and the AZELLA State Policies.
What the AZELLA DTC Is Responsible For
The District Test Coordinator is the person ADE holds accountable for AZELLA in a district or charter. For 2026-2027, that means:
- Training: running the two DTC-created sessions and keeping signed attendance rosters.
- Certification: making sure every STC and TA has completed the certification course before testing.
- Security: collecting the signed Test Security Agreements and submitting the DTC agreement in ADEConnect.
- Systems: managing users and test tickets in TIDE, test irregularity appeals and participation reports, with Cambium’s training modules on the AZ portal.
- Reports: retrieving ELP reports in ADEConnect.
Who may serve in each role is set out in ADE’s AZELLA Role Qualifications. ADE’s AZELLA inbox is the first contact for questions and aims to answer within one business day.
AZELLA Practice Tests and Readiness
ADE offers two kinds of practice. Students use the AZELLA Practice Tests for all grades, linked from ADE’s AZELLA page. Test administrators use the practice tests under the Test Administrator tile of the AZ portal to “become familiar with the TA Interface and proctor practice sessions for students.” If you are looking for a student readiness tool, these are the current equivalents. What each grade band’s practice test contains, and which domains practice actually moves, is in AZELLA practice test.
Planning Backward From February 1
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| July to August | Placement training and certification; signed agreements before the first screener |
| All year | Screen new students using the flow chart; do not re-screen students with an AZELLA history |
| November to December | Reassessment training session; confirm certifications and accommodations |
| January | One practice session per student; TIDE rosters and test tickets checked |
| February 1 to March 19 | Reassessment; keep the last week for make-ups |
District Benchmark: Two Windows, One Staff
Take a district with 2,500 English learners and 300 new enrollees a year whose Home Language Survey names another language. The Placement window runs for more than nine months, so screening never stops, while the Reassessment concentrates 2,500 tests into seven weeks. The same certified staff cover both. Districts that finish the Reassessment training in December and keep screening moving in February avoid the usual collision in the first week of the window.
Common Mistakes
- Testing before certification. The system blocks users who have not passed the course and quiz.
- Re-screening students with an AZELLA history. Check EL70 first, as the flow chart requires.
- Screening foreign exchange students. The flow chart says not to.
- Forgetting the second training session. Placement and Reassessment are separate trainings.
- Treating the Placement score as the annual result. Exit and accountability use the Spring Reassessment.
Recommended Actions
Immediate (this month): Confirm every STC and TA has completed the 2026-2027 certification course and signed the Test Security Agreement.
Medium-term (this year): Schedule the Reassessment training before winter break and plan February 1 to March 19 by campus.
Long-term (strategy): Audit screening decisions against the flow chart once a year; over-identification and missed identification both cost years of services.
Questions District Leaders Should Ask
- Is every AZELLA user certified for 2026-2027?
- Do our registrars apply the flow chart before scheduling a screener?
- When is our Reassessment training session, and who keeps the rosters?
- Which campuses finish testing in the first half of the window?
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the AZELLA testing window in 2027?
The Spring Reassessment runs from February 1 to March 19, 2027. The Placement test runs from July 20, 2026 to May 14, 2027.
Who takes the AZELLA Placement test?
Students new to Arizona public schools whose Home Language Survey names a language other than English or ASL and who have no prior AZELLA testing history.
Where is the AZELLA placement test flow chart?
On ADE’s AZELLA DTCs page, as the AZELLA Placement Test Logic Flow Chart (July 2026). The steps are summarized in this guide.
What training is required to give AZELLA?
Two DTC-led sessions (Placement and Reassessment), the ClearCourse modules, the Test Administrator Certification Course once per school year, and a signed 2026-2027 Test Security Agreement.
Who takes the AZELLA Spring Reassessment?
All students in kindergarten through grade 12 with an EL need. It is online, with paper forms only for approved accommodations.
Is there an AZELLA student readiness tool?
ADE’s current practice resources are the AZELLA Practice Tests for all grades on its AZELLA page and the practice tests under the Test Administrator tile of the AZ portal.
Related Resources
- AZELLA Explained
- AZELLA Practice Test
- AZELLA Scores Explained
- Arizona English Learner Requirements
- Arizona ELP Standards
- English Learners in Arizona
Conclusion
The 2027 AZELLA calendar is simple: Placement from July 20, 2026 to May 14, 2027, Reassessment from February 1 to March 19, 2027. What trips districts up is the paperwork around it: two trainings, a yearly certification, a signed security agreement and a screening decision that the flow chart settles in five questions. Get those done before winter break, and the window is only about the students.
Sources: ADE, AZELLA DTCs; ADE, Tentative Test Windows 2026-2027; ADE, AZELLA Placement Test FAQs; ADE, AZELLA Spring Reassessment Test FAQs; ADE, AZELLA Placement Test Logic Flow Chart. Verified September 28, 2026.
The Window Measures the Year
By February 1, a district can still fix a missing certification or a TIDE roster. It cannot change what a student is able to say. Speaking counts for 19 to 30 percent of the Reassessment score, depending on the grade, but under Arizona’s rules a student also needs at least Intermediate in every domain, speaking included, to reach Proficient.
Speaking is the domain a full class practices least: in a class of twenty-five, each student speaks for a few minutes a day at best. That is the Speaking Time Gap.
Some districts add speaking practice that does not wait for the teacher’s turn. Telo AI is one example: five-minute sessions three times a week that adapt to each student’s level and push past one-word answers, with progress reported on a teacher dashboard. See how that works across a school year.
The window sets the date of the measurement. The months before set the result.
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