Project Management team
Norman Verhelst
ESLC Director
Norman Verhelst received his PhD from the University of Leuwen (Belgium) in the area of mathematical psychology. He taught statistics, psychology and psychometrics at the Universities of Nijmegen and Utrecht, and since 1985 has worked as a senior researcher at the National Institute for Educational Measurement (Cito) in Arnhem, the Netherlands. His main interest is in the area of item response theory, especially in reconciling the requirements of mathematical rigour in IRT with the daily practice of testing. Since 1998 he has been a member of the technical advisory group of PISA. His interest in language testing comes from his membership of the authoring group that is preparing the Council of Europe manual to link examinations to the Common European Framework (CEFR). Since 2006 he has been a member of the editorial board of Language Testing.
Neil Jones
ESLC Vice-Director
Neil holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh (UK) on the application of item response theory. His interest in language assessment developed out of a career in English language teaching in countries including Poland and Japan, where he set up departments at university level and worked on materials development, teacher training and multimedia study centres. Neil has worked for Cambridge ESOL since 1993 on innovative testing developments such as item-banking and computer-adaptive testing. A particular concern is the construction of multilingual language proficiency frameworks like the Common European Framework of Reference, and the Asset Languages scheme developed within the UK’s national languages strategy.
Karen Ashton
ESLC Project Manager
Karen holds a PhD in cross-language comparability of reading proficiency from the University of Cambridge and an MA in Forensic Linguistics from Cardiff University. She joined Cambridge ESOL in 2004 to work on Asset Languages, which is a multilingual language proficiency framework of assessments available in the UK. Her role for Asset Languages included managing the research agenda, managing external consultants, researching areas of comparability, the impact of assessments, and standard-setting for performance assessments. She is PRINCE2-qualified to practitioner level and previously worked as a risk management consultant, a Research Assistant and a teacher of English in Japan.
Kerry-Jo Reilly
ESLC Project Assistant
Kerry-Jo holds an MSc in Culture and Society from London School of Economics and a BA in Literature from the University of Kent. Her previous work in education has focused on communications, managing student recruitment initiatives, social marketing and embedding equality. Kerry-Jo is PRINCE2-qualified and helps to manage the delivery of the ESLC through the network of coordinators across Europe.