Academic Language Solutions, the exchange programs distributor of iTEP (International Test of English Proficiency), has announced an agreement with CIEE to use the iTEP Exchange test for High School Exchange Students applying for the 2025-26 School Year. The agreement follows a successful, published research project (September 2023) which tracked CIEE students’ acquisition and development of English language skills while on the flagship cultural exchange program. On this experience, students from around the world stay with American families and become full-time students in US high schools.

The iTEP Exchange test measured English skills at the start of the exchange program and compared them to year-end results. The test measured grammar, listening and reading in 51 multiple-choice questions and it had a “mini-spoken interview” which asked students to talk about their coming exchange experience. Students showed significant growth in all skills as a result of the exchange experience. “This is something that was anecdotally known”, said Kevin Morgan, Chairman of the testing company, “but, in our experience, we have never seen it empirically proven with a recognized, standardized English test.” A full report on the study can be found at https://academiclanguagesolutions.com/case-study-ciee.

The iTEP Exchange test is increasing accepted by sponsors as one of the recognized tests that sponsors use to screen students coming into the country. Morgan went on to say “we developed this test following complaints from schools, districts, teachers and host families that students were coming on exchange programs, and their English skills were not always consistent with the scores they received from previous tests. We improved on the testing, and added a speaking section, so stakeholders would know ahead of time how well the incoming student could communicate on a day-to-day basis.” ELTiS was the test previously used by many exchange program sponsors.

Randy LeGrant, a veteran professional in the exchange community and a former high school teacher, is President of Academic Language Solutions. He stated, “We are very pleased to welcome CIEE to the growing community of sponsors using the 21st-century testing we make available through iTEP. We are proud to have cooperated with them in providing the exchange community and the State Department with statistical results that emphasize the value of high school exchange in improving the English skills of the world’s future leaders.”

For further information, please contact info@itsacademic.us.

For more information and images:

Kevin Morgan
Academic Language Solutions
info@itsacademic.us
+1 (917) 319-3216