An Introduction to the English Language Proficiency Assessment

1
An Introduction to theEnglish Language
Proficiency Assessment

• Brian Ciloski, Analyst
• Assessment of English
• Language Learners

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Meeting Federal Requirements

• Who is an English language learner (ELL)?
• A student who is an ELL is also known as Limited
  English Proficient (LEP) in some states and laws.

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Meeting Federal Requirements

• Do all ELLs come from other countries?
• Many others are children or grandchildren of
  immigrants. Over 70 percent of ELLs are born
  here in the United States.

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Meeting Federal Requirements

• How can we identify students as English language
  learners?
• A Home Language Survey is provided to all new
  students enrolling in school (Title VI
  requirement).

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Meeting Federal Requirements
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Meeting Federal Requirements

• What are the Home Language Survey Questions?
• Is your childs native tongue a language other
  than English?
• Is the primary language used in your childs home
  or environment a language other than English?

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Meeting Federal Requirements

• If the answer to either question on the Home
  Language Survey is YES, proceed with assessing
  the students eligibility for ELL services using
  the ELPA Initial Screening, and other identified
  criteria such as district policy, teacher/student
  interviews, etc.

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Meeting Federal Requirements

• What is the ELPA Initial Screening?
• The ELPA Initial Screening is a short, ELP
  standards-based assessment. The results show
  strengths and weaknesses by domain and include
  overall performance levels that are linked with
  the Spring ELPA.

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Meeting Federal Requirements

• How is the ELPA Initial Screening used?
• Diagnostic tool for English acquisition
• Identification of ELLs for Title III purposes

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ELPA Initial Screening

• What is the ELPA Initial Screening administration
  schedule?
• Two assessment cycles

Leaf Cycle August 15 to November 30
Snowflake Cycle December 1 to August 14 (except
during Spring ELPA cycle)
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ELPA Initial Screening

• During the LEAF Cycle, the ELPA Initial Screening
  is designed to match content taught during the
  previous school year.
• During the SNOWFLAKE Cycle, the ELPA Initial
  Screening is designed to match content taught so
  far that year.
• Please be careful to administer the following
  levels to students of these grades

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ELPA Initial Screening
Leaf Cycle Summer and Fall Administration Leaf Cycle Summer and Fall Administration
For students of these grade-levels Administer this Assessment Level
K I (Listening and Speaking only)
1 I
2-3 II
4-6 III
7-9 IV
10-12 V
Snowflake Cycle Winter and Spring Administration (except during Spring ELPA cycle) Snowflake Cycle Winter and Spring Administration (except during Spring ELPA cycle)
For students of these grade-levels Administer this Assessment Level

K I
1-2 II
3-5 III
6-8 IV
9-12 V
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Meeting Federal Requirements

• How do we order an ELPA Initial Screening for a
  new student?
• Obtain an order form on the public ELPA website
  at www.michigan.gov/elpa

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Meeting Federal Requirements

• How is the ELPA Initial Screening scored?
• The ELPA Initial Screening is scored at the time
  of administration. Student information and raw
  scores are entered onto the OEAA secure website
  by the district.
• www.michigan.gov/oeaa-secure

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Meeting Federal Requirements

• What types of reports are available for the ELPA
  Initial Screening?
• An individual report and class/group list is
  immediately downloadable.

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ELPA Initial Screening
Sample ELPA Initial Screening Individual
Student Report
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ELPA Initial Screening
Sample ELPA Initial Screening Class Roster
Report
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Meeting Federal Requirements

• How do we notify the State that we have an ELL
  who is eligible for services?
• Entering ELPA screener information on the OEAA
  Secure Site identifies the student for Title III
  count.
• Also entering appropriate data into MSDS fields
  for each count date.

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Meeting Federal Requirements

• What are the next steps?
• Parents or guardians of the student are contacted
  regarding instructional recommendations.

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Meeting Federal Requirements

• How are instructional recommendations determined?
• Input from parents/guardians
• Student language background
• Bilingual or ESL resources

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Meeting Federal Requirements

• How do we obtain resources for LEP instruction?
• ISDs and Title III Consortia
• State Title III services
• Organizations such as MITESOL and MABE

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Meeting Federal Requirements

• How do we monitor progress?
• Provide classroom assessments
• Analyze results of school, district, and state
  assessments.
• MEAP
• Annual Spring ELPA

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Meeting Federal Requirements

• Who takes the Spring ELPA?
• The Spring ELPA is to be given to all Michigan
  students who are enrolled in grades K-12 and are
  eligible for Limited English Proficient (LEP)
  services.
• All public and charter schools are included,
  along with private schools (depending on LEA
  agreements).

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Preparing for the Spring ELPA

• How do we obtain Spring ELPA materials?
• Material are ordered through the OEAA Secure
  Site.
• The OEAA performs a preliminary identification
  ELLs during the Pre-ID window students who
  Pre-ID will receive labels with their initial
  material order.

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Accommodations for ELLs

• How do we determine if an ELLwho is also a
  student with a disability (SWD)needs an
  accommodation for ELPA?
• Use of an accommodation is based on documentation
  in school record.

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Accommodations for ELLs

• How do we determine if an ELL needs an
  accommodation for MEAP, MI-Access or MME?
• Assessment accommodations are based on ELL
  performance levels and language of instruction
  for the content area being assessed.
• Decisions are to be made on student-by-student
  basis.

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Accommodations for ELLs

• How do we determine if an ELL needs an
  accommodation for MEAP, MI-Access or MME?
• MEAP accommodations marked as standard result in
  scores that are reportable for Adequate Yearly
  Progress (AYP) and EducationYES!

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Accommodations for ELLs

• Where can we locate accommodation lists for
  ELPA, MEAP, MI-Access and MME?
• Review the Assessment Accommodation Summary
  Table that is located on the ELPA website.
  (www.michigan.gov/elpa)

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Accommodations Other Tests

• Can ELLs be excused from these assessments?
• All ELLs are to be assessed with content-based
  tests. The only exception involves recently
  arrived students.

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Recently Arrived ELLs

• Who are recently arrived students?
• These are ELLs who have enrolled in a U.S. Public
  School for 12 months or less.
• The date of entry is drawn from sections 8 and 10
  on ELPA demographic pages.

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ELPA Initial Screening
Sample Demographic Page
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Recently Arrived ELLs

• Who are recently arrived students?
• Students meeting this criterion may be excused
  from taking the ELA portions of content-based
  tests provided that ELPA has been administered.
• This is a one-time exemption. Excused students
  are reported as a sub-category for AYP.

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Remember

• All students enrolled in grades K-12 who are
  eligible for LEP services MUST be assessed
  annually using the Spring ELPA .

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Assessment Dates for ELLs

• ELPA Initial Screening Administration
• Ongoing--administer at time student arrives in
  your district
• Leaf Cycle Aug 15 to Nov 30
• Snowflake Cycle Dec 1 to Aug 14

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Assessment Dates for ELLs

• Pre-ID Window
• December 6 through January 11, 2011
• ELPA Spring 2011 Administration
• March 7 through April 15, 2011
• Tested Roster
• May 16 through May 20, 2011
• Return and Reporting Cycles
• Early June, 2011
• See the full Spring ELPA Assessment Calendar at
  www.michigan.gov/elpa

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Assessment Dates for ELLs

• Tested Roster
• Dont forget that after the assessment
  administration has ended to review the Tested
  Roster Information to ensure that it is correct.

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Assessment Resources for ELLs

• Assessment questions about ELLs?
• Call 877-560-8378 or e-mail oeaa_at_michigan.gov for
  general assistance or help with the OEAA secure
  website.

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Comments and Suggestions

• Contact Information
• Brian Ciloski, Analyst
• Assessment of English Language Learners
• CiloskiB_at_michigan.gov
• [phone]