Pilot Program Could Help English-Learners

Computer model to weigh individual testing needs.

As early as next school year, some states may roll out a sophisticated computerized system intended to ensure that English-language learners receive the testing accommodations that fit their individual needs.

As matters stand now, said Rebecca J. Kopriva, the lead developer of the system, teachers can be inconsistent—even within the same school—in how they decide what kinds of accommodations to give children who take part in large-scale standardized assessments.

But the system, devised by researchers at the University of Maryland College Park with $1.7 million in federal funding, aims to help educators identify the most appropriate kind of assistance to offer students with limited English proficiency in...