Addendum to Guidelines
Inclusion of ELL in K-12 Assessments
1.
Project
EASIER
·
Will not be able to
collect the information on results from the English language development tests
used to document “growth” spring (2005). AEA 12 will continue with the
collection and analysis of the data.
Other issues:
§
Question: Date of entry in the US. NO NEED TO
ANSWER THIS QUESTION. Next year the question will be: First date of
entry/enrollment in a school in the U.S.
§
The language
proficiency assessments to identify student’s level of language proficiency in
Project EASIER are for placement and diagnostic use only.
§
Growth will be
measured with an English language proficiency assessment developed to measure
academic language. Project EASIER will not be able to collect this information.
AEA 12 will continue collecting and analyzing the information (as it did last
year).
2.
What are the
current choices for the English language proficiency assessment (the growth
measure)?
For the spring assessment (growth measure),
subgrantees will have the following choices.
|
Choices |
ITELL |
ELDA |
Old IPT |
Old LAS |
|
Administration Time |
March or April |
March 28-April 29 |
March/April |
March/April |
|
Grades |
3-12 |
3-12 |
K-2 |
K-2 |
|
Cost |
No cost this year |
$20.00 |
$13.00-$15.00 |
About $22 |
|
Testing Time |
About 90 min. |
Un-timed |
80 to 110 min. |
About 110 min. |
|
Development stage |
Field test |
Operational |
Operational |
Operational |
|
Scoring |
Writing and speaking-local scoring; Reading and Listening-scored by Iowa Testing |
Speaking-local scoring; Reading, Writing, and Listening-scored by M.I. |
Same as before |
Same as before |
|
Contact person |
Craig Deville 319-335-6424 |
Bob Mata 563-336-3805 matar@mail.davenport.k12.ia.us |
Patricia Lynn 800-321-4332 |
Nancy Cullen 800-313-4282 ext. 5967 |
·
If choice is ITELL
(3-12) then for K-2 the LEA will have to use either the old IPT
or the old LAS, regardless of time of administration (April or
March).
·
If choice is ELDA
(3-12), then for K-2 the LEA will have to use either the old IPT
or the old LAS.
·
Old IPT and old LAS should
NOT be used for 3-12. These assessments were
not deemed appropriate to evaluate English language proficiency growth for
academic language.
·
New IPT (K-12)—is not a choice for spring of
2005 administration. The operational form will be available July 1.
·
New LAS (K-12) — is not a choice for spring of
2005 administration. The operational form will be available next fall.
3.
What is the
window for test administration and reporting?
·
If students are
assessed in March—scores need to be in AEA 12 by end of April.
·
If students are
assessed in April—scores need to be in AEA 12 by mid May.
(This time line will allow AEA 12 to give the
results back in time for the districts to use them for instructional
decisions.)
4.
Who needs to
be assessed with an English language proficiency assessment for growth?
ALL English language learners who have been
identified with a placement tool (old IPT, old LAS, Woodcock Munoz, etc.) as
ELL will need to take the proficiency assessment. The proficiency tool given to
the student the following year serves as the growth measure.
For example:
All students who have been identified as non-English proficient (NEP) or limited English proficient (LEP) need to be assessed with a growth measure
assessment (ITELL, ELDA, new assessments) each year until they score
proficient on ALL parts of the assessment— listening, speaking, reading, and
writing. The four domains need to be assessed each time, until the student
scores proficient on all 4 of them (full battery).
·
Non-English
proficient = a student who scores
non-English proficient on any
part of the assessment.
·
Limited
English proficient = a student who
scores limited English proficient on all parts of the assessment or
a combination of limited and proficient scores.
·
Proficient = a student who scores proficient on all parts of the assessment.
The
number of ELL that the LEA reported on the BEDS should be similar to the number
of students assessed for growth. In other
words, districts need to account for the entry and exit of the students. The
count may not exactly match those submitted for BEDS but districts need to
account for the difference.
5.
Do we need to
assess ELLs who are not in an English language instructional program because of
parental choice?
YES, students whose parents have signed a waiver and
are NOT in an English language instructional PROGRAM still need to be assessed
for English language proficiency.
Parents have the option of declining participation
of their children in a PROGRAM (ESL, Dual language, Transitional, etc.), but
the district still has the obligation of providing SERVICES to the students.
There is no need to request parents’ approval to
assess the student, unless it is a district wide policy for all parents in the
district for all the assessments.
6.
Does a
student who score proficient on an English language development test need to be
EXITED from programs and services?
NO. There is a difference between proficient on a
test and EXITED from a program or services. A student may score proficient on
an English language development measure but continue to struggle in the
classroom. The student should be receiving services as long as the student
needs them. It is very important that the district has EXIT criteria that
include more than a single proficiency score. For Title III funding
services this student is counted as an ELL until he/she satisfies the EXIT
criteria. For weighted funds (.22) from the state, district receives funds up
to three years. Programs and services are independent from time limits on
funding (such as weighted funds). Students need to receive the appropriate
services regardless of funding sources or time constraints.
7.
What are the
characteristics of an EXITED student?
The district should have exit criteria that include
at least two or more of the following:
·
Score of proficient on
English language measures
·
Evidence of success in
the regular classroom
·
Sustainability of the
success (one or two years)
·
Lack of need for
English acquisition support
·
Student has been in
the “Transitional” stage for 2 years
·
Teachers, other staff,
and parents are in agreement
·
Score proficient in
district wide assessments
·
Others as specified by
the district
8.
Review of
identification/placement, assessment, and EXIT
·
All students who have
been identified as potential ELLs need to be assessed for diagnostic/placement
with placement tools. Assessing for placement is done only ONCE. No need to
assess more than once for placement/identification purposes.
·
Once a student is
classified as non-English proficient or limited English proficient the student
needs to be assessed for growth (ITELL, ELDA, etc.) EVERY YEAR, until the student achieves a proficient level on all parts of the
assessment (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). The student needs to be
assessed each time with the full battery.
·
Students, who score
proficient on all parts of the growth measure, do not need to be
assessed for language proficiency. When a student is considered ready to
receive minimal language support (scores proficient in English and performance
in classroom is comparable to his/hers peers), a student could move to a “TRANSITIONAL” stage in which they are monitored for two years. These students are
still considered ELLs.
·
After the two years,
if the student satisfies the district’s EXIT criteria then the student is no
longer considered ELL and is not counted as ELL. The student is considered as
EXITED from programs and services and does not receive English/second language
acquisition support. The state, through project EASIER still “monitors” the
student for AYP purposes for two more years.
9.
What is the
data collection and reporting processes for the spring English Language
Proficiency Assessments (growth measure) for 2005?
·
Please wait for
further instructions.
10.
What are some
important things you need to consider for this spring’s test administration?
·
If you are
considering ITELL and have not received a letter from Iowa Testing Program, you
need to contact Craig Deville by Feb. 23, 2005. phone: 319-335-6424, e-mail: craig-deville@uiowa.edu
·
If you are
considering using ELDA, you must contact Bob Mata before Feb. 28, 2005. phone:
563-336-3805, e-mail: matar@mail.davenport.k12.ia.us
Note: For assistance with identification, placement,
accommodations, etc. see the document: Guidelines
for the Inclusion of English Language Learners in K-12 Assessments.
http://www.state.ia.us/educate/ecese/is/ell/doc/guidelines04.pdf