Samantha Musser is the Director of Expressive Test Development at CAL, overseeing test development activities for the expressive communication mode of the WIDA suite of assessments. Sam joined CAL in 2013 as a Performance-based Assessment Specialist working on the adaptation of the ACCESS Speaking test from a paper-based to a computer-delivered format and the creation of scoring and interpretive rubrics for the Speaking and Writing domains. Sam’s work is informed by her academic training in sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, and cross-cultural communication.

Beyond language testing, Sam’s research interests include language ideologies and attitudes, discourse and identity, and digital media and language change. She holds an M.A. in Linguistics with a concentration in Language and Communication from Georgetown University and a B.A. in English from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!).