Assessing English Language Learners August 2004

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Assessing English Language LearnersAugust 2004
Kathy Cox, State School Superintendent
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In leaving no child behind, how will English
language learners be impacted?
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Points to Remember

• 1. All English language learners (ELL) are
  included in state assessments
• 2. Coding
• 3. Accommodations
• 4. New test for English language proficiency

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Statewide Assessments

• All ELLs are required to take state tests for
  reading/English/language arts and mathematics
• Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) calculations
  deferred for first year students. First year
  designation applies to students enrolling in
  current school year.
• Coding LEP (limited English proficient as
  determined by
• NCLB-mandated screening) and LEP-M (students
  monitored for up to two years after meeting exit
  criteria)
• Selected and test-specific accommodations are
  allowed for students coded LEP and LEP-M. ELL
  Test Committee documentation required.

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New NCLB Regulations

• All ELL students will be assessed annually for
  progress in English language proficiency
• All will present independent measures of reading,
  writing, listening, and speaking
• All will present a measure of comprehension
• All will present evidence of social academic
  skills
• All assessments will align with standards for
  English language acquisition and knowledge of the
  language in core content areas.

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The Case for a Proficiency Test Beginning with
the End in Mind

• Can students topping out on the English
  language proficiency tests pass English Language
  Arts tests at their grade level?
• Lily Wong Filmore, 2002

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• Assessing English Language Proficiency

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Making the Pieces FitAssessing Social Language
and Academic Language
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Critical Considerations

• Scope of ELP assessments
• Focus on social and academic language
• Listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the
  school setting
• Language acquisition and literacy associated with
  social communication and academic learning skills

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Assessing English Language Proficiency

• The design of the assessments should
• Encompass the full range of student performance
  in English acquisition from non-English to
  advanced
• Focus on language and literacy skills rather than
  academic content skills
• Differentiate levels of student performance by
  linguistic complexity and use of technical
  language.
• Kopriva, 2004

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Thriving and Struggling ELL Students

• Thriving language minority students are described
  as being successful in their grade-appropriate
  academic classes.
• Struggling students are those whose academic
  fluency in English is limitedeven though they
  may have received a score in the advanced range
  on a language proficiency test. Limited academic
  fluency is a barrier to successful learning of
  grade level content.
• Garavaglia, Monroe, and Walker-Webb, 2004

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A New Assessment

• English Language Development Assessment
• (ELDA)

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English Language Development AssessmentProject
Organizations
1. Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)
2. Limited English Proficient State Collaborative
on Assessment and Student Standards (LEP-SCASS)
3. State of Nevada Department of Education
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ELDA Project Organizations
4. American Institutes for Research (AIR)
5. Center for Study of Assessment Validity and
Evaluation University of Maryland
reliability research
6. Measurement Inc. (MI)
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General Features of ELDA

• ELDA is aligned to state ESL standards.
• ELDA has vertical alignment across clusters.
• ELDA has 5 levels of performance standards, with
  rigorous definition of FEP at Level 5 and
  realistic definition for beginners at Level 1.
• ELDA is a test of 4 language skills, not of
  academic content - no content area prior
  knowledge requirements.

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General Features of ELDA

• ELDA domains are each designed around four
  topic areas
• (three academic and one social component)
• Math, Science, Technology
• English Language Arts
• Social Sciences
• School Social

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Spring 2004 ELDA Field Test

• 18 States
• 11 Districts in Georgia
• (small, medium, large)

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What about the LAB?
What will happen with the Language Assessment
Battery (LAB) after the Implementation of the
ELDA?
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Proposed ELDA Roll-Out

• Fall 2004 Phased-in training
• Spring 2005 Test administration grades 3-12
• Fall 2005 Operational forms for Spring
  2006
• Full implementation of ELDA grades K-12

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Core Content Testing in Addition to Language
Proficiency

• In grades K through 2nd
• School Year 1 in the U.S.
• English proficiency test - LAB
• Mathematics (not for AYP)
• Reading/language arts (not for AYP)
• School Year 2, 3 (and beyond)
• English proficiency test - ELDA
• Mathematics (for AYP)
• Reading/language arts (for AYP)

• In grades 3rd through 12th
• School Year 1 in the U.S.
• English proficiency test - ELDA
• Mathematics (not for AYP)
• Reading/language arts (not for AYP)
• Writing
• School Year 2, 3 (and beyond)
• English proficiency test - ELDA
• Mathematics (for AYP)
• Reading/language arts (for AYP)
• Writing

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ESOL ProgramContact Information

• Evelyne Barker, PhD
• Program Manager
• [phone]
• ebarker_at_doe.k12.ga.us

• Victoria Webbert
• Program Specialist
• (404) 463- 1858
• vwebbert_at_doe.k12.ga.us

Please email either of us with any questions or
concerns.