Also not OP, but in my state, EL students are tested 1-2 times a year. Proficiency is split into five levels, with the highest being "advanced high" which is supposed to be "nearly indistinguishable from a native speaker." They evaluate their speaking, listening, and writing skills by having them write one-page essays and record themselves having fake conversations or answering fake questions. They remain in the program until they show growth from one year to the next. Until they do, they attend countless meetings and trainings to get them familiar with the testing system, further digging into instructional time. Maybe it's cause this is in Texas, but the extent to which they push these tests gives off some serious "speak English or gtfo" vibes.

The whole thing just makes for a very stressful environment for kids that already have to deal with other state tests AND with the enormous pressure of being in an unfamiliar place. I'm all for giving them the support they need and helping them learn the language, but there's absolutely no need to tie testing to it and to push it as heavily as they do.